It is only recently that the boyish whistle of the nuthatch has become a sign of spring in some Scottish woods. This cheeky bird, just as often seen hopping down a tree trunk head first as going up, is a true woodland specialist. It nests in natural holes in trees, using mud to adjust the size of the entrance to minimise the risk of predation, but will also take to nest boxes. In the spring and summer they are insectivorous, and in common with many woodland birds rely particularly on spring emergenceof caterpillars to feed their young. In the autumn and winter, as befits their name, nuthatches switch to feed on nuts and seeds, such as acorns and beech mast, which they are skilled at hiding to be re-found when the weather turns cold (Nilsson, 1987;Wesolowski & Stawarczyk, 1991).
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