Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 12:05:16 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Carol /Oscar Ghebelian Subject: RFI:WB Nuthatch nestbuilding/bill sweeping Comments: To: birdchat MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Have had a fascinating past several days watching a White-breasted Nuthatch build a nest in bluebird house on a tree outside our kitchen window. First there was great noisy drumming as she enlarged the predator guard around the 1 1/2" entrance hole. This surprised me--I thought a squirrel had been gnawing on it and could not believe she had this power. This went on for several days--only to find that there was the original entrance hole inside to work on, too! Couldn't figure out why, since she was able to easily fit into the original size hole. Then I found out why--she began to nest build by pulling off bark from the host chestnut oak tree, but the pieces were too large to fit into the entrance hole. Much frustration as she tried again and again, dropped, pulled another piece, tried again, stripped other trees for bark,etc. (It reminded me of the Purple Martins arriving at the entrance hole with a huge dragonfly, but that was flexible enough to stuff inside!) She finally learned to either get smaller pieces or try to fit in the hole sideways by perching nuthatch-like on top of the box and working in the bark. Clever, I thought! This was fascinating enough but then began the "bill sweeping"! It was exactly as described in Stokes Behavior book 2, and briefly in the Peterson nest field guide. She took an insect and wiped all around the top of the box and on the tree truck all around the box, found new insect and repeated for some time. Books say both sexes do this but I could never establish that the male helped in this--usually watched all activity from afar. This has continued for 2 days--mostly in the afternoon, both nestbuilding and bill sweeping. Books say this is to deter squirrels who could usurp their nest usually built in tree cavity. Baicich/Harrison nest book says that Red-breasted NH may smear resin around the entrance hole, but mentions nothing for WB nuthatch. Peterson only mentions the bill sweeping for WBNH. Stokes also says that they sometimes stuff fur under the bark around the nest hole, again for the scent to fool squirrels. I'm waiting for this! NOW--question--I have not been able to find that any other species indulges in this activity, so am asking you experts out there to tell me more. Would think this surely not unique to just the nuthatches. Anyway, even my non-birding spouse has been excited over these obsrvations! Now, if only the Tufted Titmouse who usually nests in that box does not usurp the poor little nuthatch who has worked so hard! Thanks--Carol Ghebelian -- Carol Ghebelian Indian Head, MD gheb@bellatlantic.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================