Friday, 14 May 2021

May 2021~ Competition for nest sites is intense

I came across these Nuthatches checking out what looked like a perfect cavity in a tree trunk.
I guess that really great sites are a rare and valuable asset out there in nature.

This looks a superior residence

They looked well at home and they were together and I also captured the male bringing a feather to line the nest with the female already already at home.  You can just make her beak poking out receiving the offering.

A nice soft warm feather to line the nest cavity

While I was watching I was surprised to see this pair of blue tits prospecting the same hole.  They were really interested and were actually also trying to bring in nest material.
I wonder if there are instances of birds actually nesting in the same cavity.  I seem to remember reading that this does happen rarely sometimes in nature.
This looks a great family home
I just never expected to see this.

Soft furnishing

The Nuthatch is quite an aggressive bird on my feeders in Winter, driving many other smaller birds off, so I never had any doubts who would win this property dispute.

It is also great to observe and get to know the characters from a respectable distance.

With the cold temperatures is is a late spring but nature is still getting on with it.  They have evolved over the millennia to cope with all these variances.

Enjoy the natural environment and these type of experiences which are now more important to us than ever!