Nuthatches in Scotland (1 Viewer)

[delia todd]

Hi kymhardie and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. All things Scottish can be found here. Also, keep an eye on threads titled something like Scottish Bashes; we try to meet up occasionally and they're always great fun. You'd be most welcome to join us on another if you can manage.

It's quite possible that it could have been nuthatches you saw, there's no doubt the warmer winters are having an affect on their range. I can't remember other reports from Aberdeenshire, but obviously I can't read all the posts that come in. There'll be someone who knows though.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Ian Bell]

Nuthatch have been reported at a few sites along Deeside,so no reason why they would'nt venture over the hills to Strathdon,Kym.

 

[aberdeenshirebirdtours]

Nuthatch bred in Deeside a few years back (during lockdown) and everyone hoped that would be the start of a population up here. However I don’t think they were seen in subsequent years at that location.

This year I’ve seen Nuthatches in a couple of locations along Deeside (near Banchory and near Ballater) and I’m sure there will be others. They’ve been photographed in Bin Forest near Huntly in the last few years so they’ve definitely spread, and so Strathdon could be a possibility.

If you get a confirmed sighting of youngsters it would be great if you could send the info to the local recorder, Ian Broadbent, as it’s a record he would definitely be interested in.

 

[Brian Robertson]

Can't say there's much sign of Nuthatches in Angus at the moment. Visited a few places of suitable habitat in the last few days but none noted or heard. I suppose it's only a matter of time, though.

 

[JTweedie]

When this thread was started it was still a bit of a novelty to see them in Scotland, but they spread across the country really quickly, at least as far as the central belt is concerned. You're pretty much guaranteed to see them at RSPB Lochwinnoch for example as they just hang around the two feeding stations all day long.

 

[edenwatcher]

Colonisation of Fife has been slow, but a real uptick this year with birds reported at several new sites.

Rob

 

[Brian Robertson]

A nuthatch was heard in Logierait Wood near Pitlochry, starting to get up towards the Highlands now.

 

[Stonefaction]

Can't say there's much sign of Nuthatches in Angus at the moment. Visited a few places of suitable habitat in the last few days but none noted or heard. I suppose it's only a matter of time, though.

They've bred in Dundee since at least 2021 and are starting to spread a bit further out across the city from their stronghold of Balgay Hill/Ninewells Hospital. Also in Camperdown Park and Templeton Woods now.

 

[mummymonkey]

I've seen or heard nuthatch in the following places just this year:

The Hermitage - Dunkeld
Kinnoull Hill - Perth
Moncreiffe Hill - Perth
Kinclaven Woods - Blairgowrie
Killiecrankie - Pitlochry
Loch Ard - Trossachs

 

[edenwatcher]

We found an active nest in Lochaber a couple of weeks ago.

Rob

 

[EK_Birds]

Late to this particular party, as usual 😂

Saw one at K-Woodlands in East Kilbride last summer, only the second time I'd ever seen one, never mind where I live.

Been back to the same area of the woods on multiple occasions with no success. Maybe now I've posted this I should go back and it will magically re-appear !

 

[kb57]

Really interesting to learn the first Scottish breeding record was at the Hirsel in 1989...in NE England in the mid 1970s they were only regularly found in the very south of the region, at Bedburn near Hamsterley Forest - so they took 15 years to get through Durham (establishing well in the Derwent Valley woodlands) and Northumberland and cross the Tweed.
I remember when they reached the Derwent Valley the thinking was still that they were very much tied to mature broadleaved woodland habitats, and would struggle to get much further north due to the low tree cover in Northumberland. This has clearly not been the case, and it seems from this thread that a similar rate of northward expansion has continued.

 

[mummymonkey]

Heard but did not see nuthatches at Ardvorlich (South Loch Earn) a couple of weeks ago.