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Nuthatch

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Robert V View Drop Down
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    Posted: 26 Oct 2014 at 7:54pm
Hi all,

I've never had a nuthatch on my feeder before, is this rare / usual, or do they do it elsewhere?

Does this mean that food elsewhere is in short supply as I've had the woody on there as well!!??

Rob


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Iowarth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Oct 2014 at 9:04pm
Hi Rob

It was a long time ago but I well remember at my partner's family farm in Zummerzet, seeing both Spotted and green Woodpeckers at the feeder throughout most of Autumn through to Spring. never saw them in the Summer though.

I would guess that it is associated with food not being quite so plentiful and would hazard a guess that they will become regular visitors (although I am jealous of the Nuthatch!)

Chris
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Oct 2014 at 10:06pm
If you put food out all year you will get birds coming to feed.
I get nuthatches at times, sometimes for months on end and then they disappear. I get up to three at a time. I might wait years between these periods of visiting.
Today I heard bullfinches in the gardens here. I have had had them visiting continuously for over ten years and then last year they vanished. Hope they are back for a spell. 
For the past few years we've had siskins breeding here and coming on the feeders with young. I think that is because of all year feeding.
Here is a photo of a flower of a niger seed self sown plant taken today. I have had them grow before but not looking like this. Different seeds I guess.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2014 at 10:07am
I'm jealous Rob, never had a nuthatch on the bird feeders, yet!

It's peanut gorging season. There is a wide range of species that will go mad for them as winter approaches. I filled my peanut feeder up just before dark yesterday and it was stripped clean by 08:30 this morning! 





Edited by GemmaJF - 27 Oct 2014 at 10:09am
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2014 at 11:59am
Peanuts are not so popular with the birds here. They more go for black sunflowers, hulled ones or niger/nyjer seeds. In fact peanuts often rot in the dispenser. The nuthatches love the sunflowers. I think it is also down to how many feeders are put out in the locality - spoilt for choice!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chris Monk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 10:34pm
I usually get a nuthatch visiting my garden bird-table feeders at intervals during the year and by pure chance one was there on Monday and visiting again today (was away yesterday at work so it could have been there on Tuesday as well). It must have known there was a thread about them on this Forum. It was using both the peanut and the sunflower hearts feeders and when I was out doing some work around midday I saw it searching around in the gutter of the cottage at the bottom of the garden. In the afternoon I looked out and there was Gemma's bane on the bird table - a horrid large grey moggy, so sent the dog out to chase it out of the garden.

Have occasionally had greater spotted woodpeckers visiting, usually adults. A few years ago a juvenile GSW was a regular visitor but unfortunately one day whilst it was there in the summer a sudden severe thunderstorm btoke out and afterwards I found it dead having flown off straight into the glass pane of the French windows.
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Robert V View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robert V Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 11:23pm
I think Suzy may have tripped upon the secret.

I usually soak my peanuts and partially crush them before putting them in the feeder, that way the birds seem to manage not to leave any to rot, but just lately I've been adding black sunflower seeds to the crushed mix.

That must be it, the Nuthatch comes down when there are still sunflower seeds inside - hey that's a good tip Gemma / Chris, how to get Nuthatches down.

Rob
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