The nuthatch is a beautiful little bird and can often be seen flitting from tree to tree in woodland throughout the entire Peak District. Generally hanging upside down and being thoroughly acrobatic, the nuthatch climbs up, down and all around the tree trunk, unlike woodpeckers and the tree creeper, using its powerful toes to grip. It is quite a chubby little character, about the size of a great tit, and is often mistaken for a small woodpecker.

It has a long pointed bill and short tail, and its upper parts, wings and crown are a smoky blue grey colour with under parts which are buff orange, which change further down its body to red brown on the flanks. It has a black eye strip, which makes it look like a burglar or bandit, and its cheeks and throat are white, accentuating the look to perfection. It also has a little black cap. It is 15 cm in length and is present all year round throughout the Peak District and most of Britain.

Fledgling nuthatches are very like the adults, but with just a little chestnut colour on the flanks. It is very rare for them to travel far towards where they hatch. The nuthatch breeds in central and southern England and in Wales, and is resident continually in this country. The best place to look for them is in mature woods and established parkland, in central and southern England and Wales, and they are usually seen on the underside of tree trunks and branches. There have only been a few sightings in Scotland.

They have a wide range of calls, and the commonest is a loud ringing ‘chit -chit ,chit -chit’, their song is a loud, very rapid selection of piping notes and once heard, it is very often not forgotten. They like to advertise their territory using loud, simple songs.

The nuthatch feeds mainly on seeds and nuts, such as acorns and hazelnuts if it can find it, in the autumn and winter. Being omnivorous, it also eats insects, which are its favourite and it thrives on beetles and spiders in the summertime. They forage for insects hidden in or under bark by climbing along the tree trunks and branches mainly upside down and forage within their territories when reading, but they may join up with mixed feeding flocks at other times. It is lovely to see them if you go to a woodland, where perhaps the Peak District Park Rangers have put out a bird feeder or two and you see them all together with other birds such as blue tits, sparrows and chaffinches. They have a habit of wedging a large food item, such as an insect or seed, in a crevice and then hacking at it with their strong bills, gives this little bird its name.

Nuthatches like to nest in holes or crevices in trees or walls. They make a simple cup lined nest with soft materials on which to rest their eggs and in some species, the lining consists of small woody objects such as bark flakes and seed husks, while in others it includes moss, grass, hair and feathers like other passerines birds in their family.  They do like to use nest boxes so if you live near a wood or have perhaps a few trees in the bottom of the garden, it is possible to get nuthatches nesting with you if you are lucky. They need to be nest boxes with a large hole, because the nuthatch likes a little space, mainly due to its plumpness, about 35 mm in diameter if possible.

The eggs are about 15 to 20 mm and are smooth and glossy, white with red or reddish-brown spots. It is the female who incubates the eggs by herself, but both parents’ feet the young after they have hatched. Breeding starts late spring, at the end of April and it is possible for the nuthatch to have up to two clutches if the weather is right. They usually have anywhere between 4 to 13 eggs, which incubate between 14 to 18 days, and the babies fledge between 23 to 25 days.

There are lots of species making up the nuthatch family, and most of them live in North America and Europe and throughout Asia. They share their preference to being mainly woodland birds and the majority are found in evergreen conifers forests, although each species doors have a preference for a particular tree type. They prefer fairly temperate climates which are why they are suited to the Peak District weather, and we are very glad that they do because they are really beautiful little birds and very comical to watch, whilst admiring their dexterity and skill to crack open the nuts they love so much.

© Photography copyright Mandy West (the photography within this section is taken by Mandy West