What bird wedges hazelnuts into tree crack

[lauriek]

I was out looking for fungi when I found this empty hazelnut shell well and truly wedged into a crack in a tree;



I think I've heard of woodpeckers doing something like this but this was only about 2ft off the ground and I don't think I've ever seen a woodpecker so low down on a tree, so I was thinking maybe a nuthatch? (Though I've not actually seen one here, they are quite common in the general area...)

Any thoughts?

[paulchandler6]

Nuthatch will certainly do this also Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Paul

[naturelover]

or a brainy squirrel.

[paulchandler6]

Originally Posted by naturelover

or a brainy squirrel.

True, are the marks on the nut made by gnawing teeth or a beak?

Paul

[naturelover]

i would say teeth.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by naturelover

i would say teeth.

Absolutely Naturelover.
I'm pretty positive this was the work of a rodent, not a bird.
Possibly a Woodmouse?
Do I see very faint lower incisor marks around the hole (top in particular)?
Doug.

[thunder]

Looks much like a nut opened by a Woodmouse, though how it came to be wedged in a crack like that is anyone's guess. Possibly done by a playful person?

henrya

[Mr Mag00]

wedged by avian visitor, eaten by rodent thief.

[The Black Rabbit]

Spot on Mr Magoo I think!
Almost definitley eaten by a small rodent, probably a Woodmouse (like Thunder and I suggested).
But not wedged into the bark by one (like thunder and you suggested).
Possible culprits - corvid (jay etc...) squirrel, nuthatch (doubt it - they DO wedge nuts in trees but 2' off the ground would seem to be too low in my opinion anyway), human.

Doug

[DUFFY]

Hi,

I just googled the Scottish Squirrel Survey website and under their guidance notes they have a section on feeding signs. This shows that a squirrel gnaws a hole in the top of a nut and then splits it in two. There are allso examples of nuts that have been eaten by other rodents and this would put the woodmouse firmly in the frame. How the nut got to be wedged 2 foot off the ground is (and will probably remain) a mystery. The woodmouse is an excellent climber and jumper (I have seen one leap clear out of a waste bin that was over around 18 inches to 2 foot high from a 'standing start'). I am not so sure that a bird would have bothered to wedge this nut so low down wher it can be found and accessed so easily.

Ray

[lauriek]

Thanks for the thoughts all!

I'm pretty confident it wasn't a person, I'm in a private park and although there are a couple of other households in the park who can use it, I've never seen anyone else walking in the woods, and this was /well/ deep in the woods, knowing the neighbours I know there's no way they would get that far off the paths...

It didn't occur to me that it might be a rodent, although I can see that if something else had wedged it there then a mouse came across it that it would have eaten it. Surely a squirrel would just hold a nut and chew the top off? Looking at the picture again now with hindsite, I can see gnawing marks, so I'm confident you're right, some sort of rodent ate the nut, and I guess I'll never know what put it there!!

We do have quite a few jays around here, I hear their lovely screech quite regularly! (Not being sarky, I absolutely love jays, one of my fave birds).

[therealbobbo]

I agree withmost of You,the wedger wasn't the eater!
This topic reminded me of an incident,that I witnesed,about 20 years ago,near Frensham Pond.I was fortunate that at the time,I had a job,where I drove round,supervising work,and surveying.It meant that i could stop for lunch,whevere suited me,and I usually snent half an hour,watching birds!
On this particular day,I'd only got 20 yards,from the car,when I spotted a nuthatch,doing something quite high,in an oak.It flew off,just after it went,another one flew to where the first one was perched,then flew away.The first one came back,with a nut,and wedged it in thetree,the second one came,and took it away,they were still at it,when I went to work!
I hope we didn't have a bad winter,that year,bobbo