Nuthatch (1 Viewer)

I just glanced in the garden to see a Nuthatch on the peanut feeder. I have seen a pair on there once before around six months ago... just the once... so they're not exactly regular visitors.

My point... I'm wondering if there could be a nest nearby and Mr or Mrs Hatch just nipped to the feeder to grab themself a quick snack before carrying on feeding the young 'uns as many birds do? Are they usually such irregular visitors, particularly in Summer? What do we think? Or is it just my peanuts aren't very good and they see them as a last resort? |;|

boyinthebush said:

I just glanced in the garden to see a Nuthatch on the peanut feeder. I have seen a pair on there once before around six months ago... just the once... so they're not exactly regular visitors.

My point... I'm wondering if there could be a nest nearby and Mr or Mrs Hatch just nipped to the feeder to grab themself a quick snack before carrying on feeding the young 'uns as many birds do? Are they usually such irregular visitors, particularly in Summer? What do we think? Or is it just my peanuts aren't very good and they see them as a last resort? |;|

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Hi:
Am a relative newcomer to this forum, and have learned early on that the common names can vary quite a bit; Britain vs US. Can only tell you about my experience with nuthatches. We have two here in a mountain valley in Northern California. Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis is a winter visitor, as I'm just at the southern edge of it's breeding territory. White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis hangs out all summer. Usually a single sneaks into my sunflower seed feeder whenever he can get past the black-headed grosbeaks (they are twice his size), however, occasionaly a pair has come in together. Yesterday morning one came in every thirty seconds, and I was able to see him, or her, fly over to a pine tree where a fledgling was food begging. I don't understand how they can handle a sunflower seed with that bill, but maybe the grosbeaks drop some of the meat when they crack the shell.

Craig