Nuthatch Nest

I had an inkling that this hollow might become a nest site for a Nuthatch pair.  Earlier in the year when we had the unexpected snow flurry in March I saw a Nuthatch flying from the hole with beakfulls of snow.  It was excavating the entrance which had become filled and after pecking and scratching it clear, entered the hole and came out with more snow in its beak.  It returned many times and the process was repeated.

So I’ve kept my eye on the branch.

Now the Nuthatch parent brings in regular quantities of food for its noisy hatchlings.  Every few minutes one of the adult birds returns with a meal.

It is a beautiful nest site – a knuckle has formed where a branchlet broke away from this larger branch and it has created a protective ring around the injured area.

A few years ago I carved a Nuthatch sculpture – they’re such striking, distinctive birds it is easy to have a bit of a soft-spot for them.