{"id":8799,"date":"2021-11-25T19:52:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T00:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=8799"},"modified":"2021-11-25T19:52:45","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T00:52:45","slug":"red-breasted-nuthatch-nest-hole-food-delivery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/red-breasted-nuthatch-nest-hole-food-delivery\/","title":{"rendered":"An Unfinished Story about Red-breasted Nuthatches"},"content":{"rendered":"

I enjoy watching creatures living their lives. I try to balance my curiousity with the risk of disturbing them. So when I found a nesting pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches, each day I would pause briefly well back from the nest tree to watch. Once a parent had visited the nest, I would leave. The problem is that can leave me uncertain how their life story turned out.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Red-breasted Nuthatches Are Cavity Nesters<\/h2>\n

As I learned when they tried to nest in my crabapple tree<\/strong><\/a>, Red-breasted Nuthatches like to nest in a hole, or cavity, in a tree trunk or branch. They don’t build a flat grass and mud nest like, say, an American Robin.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
\nI found the nest\u00a0 hole when a bird swooped past me and dove into it.<\/em><\/p>\n

This past spring, a pair found a good spot in a dead ash trunk in my nearby park. I can see some of the sticky gum at the entrance\u00a0 hole edge which the bird books mention.<\/p>\n

Is This Nuthatch Feeding Young or Its Partner?<\/h2>\n

My first question was whether the Red-breasted Nuthatch I was watching was bringing food to its young or to its mate. According to the Cornell University website, males will feed their partners.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

After a few days, I saw both the male and the female bringing food to the nest hole. So eventually, at least, they were feeding chicks. The female has a grey, not black, cap and is less rusty on the front. These photos are of a male.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

How Did Their Story Finish?<\/h2>\n

One day when I waited for over ten minutes, neither parent appeared at the entrance hole. Their young had either fledged and moved into the branches. or had perished.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

I did not get to spend time in that area for over a week, so I didn’t have a chance to try to find the family. I won’t know how their story ended but as is my preference, I will hope it was happily!<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n