3 quick questions

vinnychameleon · #1 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 09:08 PM

Just thought about these and thought i'd ask you lot. Right
1. What is the best food to put out to attract nuthatches? as I live near mature woodland and get GSW and goldcrests and all sorts but have seen no nuthatches.

2. What is the best way to spot a water rail? as I have a population on my local nature reserve but am dieing to spot one (i've never seen one)

3. Whereabouts do hobbies like to nest? as I have hobbies in the area and just wondered where their preferred nesting place is so that I have even a chance of getting a pic of one (they are well to fast in flight for me)

cheers VC.

RobSutton · #2 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinnychameleon

Just thought about these and thought i'd ask you lot. Right
1. What is the best food to put out to attract nuthatches? as I live near mature woodland and get GSW and goldcrests and all sorts but have seen no nuthatches.

2. What is the best way to spot a water rail? as I have a population on my local nature reserve but am dieing to spot one (i've never seen one)

3. Whereabouts do hobbies like to nest? as I have hobbies in the area and just wondered where their preferred nesting place is so that I have even a chance of getting a pic of one (they are well to fast in flight for me)

cheers VC.

1. Mine eat peanuts and black sunflowers from the same feeders as the tits and finches.

2. Days when the ground is frozen seems to work well, I've always done better at dawn and dusk when they seem to call most and endless patience of course.

3. No idea, sorry, we don't get them up here very often.

Good luck

GuyF · #3 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 09:17 PM

Hi Vinnie,
1. In my experience nuthatches prefer peanuts, however I have one which favours my bird table and takes sunflower seeds. They are quite shy at first and it could take a while for them to find you. (the fat/peanuts you are putting in holes in a tree for LSWs will also be very attractive to nuthatches i'd have thought)
2. I haven't seen water rails many times but I think it's probably a case of patience. Also if you learn the call, which is meant to sound like a squealing pig, you might be able to locate them. The times i've seen them are when I've been in a hide watching other things and then a rail has made a dash between cover over open marshland.
3. Possibly in pine trees near me but I'm not sure and I've never even seen one.
Hoped thats helped you.
Guy

Deer Stalker · #4 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 09:22 PM

The Hobbies on the New Forest that I know of nest in isolated stands of pines or in pines near the edge of woods. But most tree species have been used by Hobbies in general.

vinnychameleon · #5 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 09:31 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. In concerns to the first question (nuthatches) I have had my peanut feeders up for over 2 months and have a pair of GSW visiting them but no nuthatches. Just guess i'll have to be patient. And as to the 3rd question I have about 6(massive) pines on the very edge of my local woods, where a pair of my local buzzards nest, as well as other pines dotted around in the woods so i'll keep an eye out on them.

aeshna5 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 08:00 AM

Hobbies, like other falcons, don't build their own nests, but adopt twig nests of other species, most often corvids. Other species are occasionally used including Buzzard, Sparrowhawk + Wood Pigeon. Crows nests are favourite though.

Conifers such as pine are preferred, though deciduous species such as Sycamore, Ash, Silver Birch + even Eucalyptus (suburban birds) are used.

I remember when I started birding they were scarce birds of heathlands in Surrey, Dorset + Hants. Now they are widespread in south + we've probably got up to 20 pairs in outer London area.

They are fantastic birds to watch + occasionally I'm lucky to see them over my garden in summer.

Hawkwind · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinnychameleon

Just thought about these and thought i'd ask you lot. Right
1. What is the best food to put out to attract nuthatches? as I live near mature woodland and get GSW and goldcrests and all sorts but have seen no nuthatches.

2. What is the best way to spot a water rail? as I have a population on my local nature reserve but am dieing to spot one (i've never seen one)

3. Whereabouts do hobbies like to nest? as I have hobbies in the area and just wondered where their preferred nesting place is so that I have even a chance of getting a pic of one (they are well to fast in flight for me)

cheers VC.

I feed nuthatches that come from a local wood with sun-flower hearts in a feeder which they share with siskins.

henrya · #8 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkwind

I feed nuthatches that come from a local wood with sun-flower hearts in a feeder which they share with siskins.

Many years ago, when we first moved to the country, we found a cupboard full of tins of hazel nuts (in the shell). Not knowing their age (and not particularly wanting to eat them) we put them on the bird table, where they were snapped up by the Nuthatches.

henrya

Gill Catton · #9 (**permalink**) 12-01-2007, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Hobbies, like other falcons, don't build their own nests, but adopt twig nests of other species, most often corvids. Other species are occasionally used including Buzzard, Sparrowhawk + Wood Pigeon. Crows nests are favourite though.

Conifers such as pine are preferred, though deciduous species such as Sycamore, Ash, Silver Birch + even Eucalyptus (suburban birds) are used.

I remember when I started birding they were scarce birds of heathlands in Surrey, Dorset + Hants. Now they are widespread in south + we've probably got up to 20 pairs in outer London area.

They are fantastic birds to watch + occasionally I'm lucky to see them over my garden in summer.

Hobbies are Specially protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act which protects them from disturbance during the breeding season. However they often appear feeding on dragonflies and swifts and swallows etc over bodies of water near where they breed and these haunts are often known by local birders and it might be worth trying to find them at their feeding grounds rather that at the nest.

John · #10 (**permalink**) 12-01-2007, 12:56 PM

Hi Vinny

Peanuts and Sunflower seeds seem the best for Nuthatch but as in all forms of bird life, laying on the right feed doesn't guarantee the birds will come.

I have a few feeding stations in my garden and get GSW frequently, even get Green Woodpecker occasionally. I hear Nuthatch quite often but as yet have never seen one in my garden.

Water Rail can be a game of patience. If you know a reserve that holds them then an early start may be needed. You need to listen out for their pig like squealing and then just keep your eye on the reed edges to see if they come out. Alternatively a lot of Water Rail have become quite confiding around feeder stations. Try and find out if any of the reserves in you area have such a feeder station that has Water Rail visiting them and if so then that is where you need to be. I have had up to four Water Rail's together at a feeding station and they have been there for ages totally at ease with their surroundings.

Regarding Hobby. I am a bit uncomfortable on why you want to know where Hobby nest. Even if I knew I wouldn't divulge it as they are protected. What I will say is that Haldon Hill usually has a few that arrive there on migration. I have watched some at very close quarters from the raptor viewpoint there.

I will add that if you find any nesting birds (Hobby or otherwise) please stay well clear as disturbance can have disastrous consequences.

John