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morning.&nbsp --Apple-Mail-27-267512659 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi Jim et al., White-breasted Nuthatches do indeed sweep their nest holes with a = beetle. As far as I know, no one really knows why. It might be to deter = other birds, predators, or parasites (lots of beetles contain noxious = chemicals). European and some other Old World nuthatches narrow the entrance of = their nest hole with mud, maybe to keep out other cavity-nesting birds, = and Red-breasted Nuthatches line the entrance with pitch from coniferous = trees, again for unknown reasons. There's a video of the European Nuthatch plastering its nest hole at = this site -- quite neat, but I'll warn you that the video takes ages to = load: = http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/eurasian-nuthatch-sitta-europaea/female-plast= ering-nest-entrance Cheers, Andy Horn Halifax On Apr 29, 2013, at 4:08 PM, James W. Wolford wrote: >=20 >> Subject: [ValleyNature] re behaviour of nesting WB Nuthatches >>=20 >> Thanks for your note, Bernice & Bill! Is it the Cambridge area where = you live? (nw. of Coldbrook?). I will send your note and questions to = our two lists of naturalists for feedback on your interesting = observations. Glad you have some white-breasts back! Cheers from Jim, = in B.C. for another 10 days or so. >>=20 >> Begin forwarded message: >>=20 >>> From: The Naylors <bbnaylor@ns.sympatico.ca> >>> Date: April 29, 2013 12:40:39 PM ADT >>> To: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> >>> Subject: WB nuthatches >>>=20 >>> Hi >>> =20 >>> Approx 6 years ago a pair of wb nuthatches raised 6 young in a bird = house in our back yard. We got to see them fledge at that time. The = box has not been used by anyone since. This year another pair of the = WBN are back at it and are very busy. One bird (I'm presunming the = female. Maybe I'm being politically incorrect here!) is very busy = rubbing a black thing back and forth over the outside of the box, = including the top where he/she is removing the lichen that has built up. = Odd behaviour? >>> =20 >>> Bernice Naylor >>> =20 >>> PS: Bill has just read that this bird will sometimes rub a noxious = smelling bug to deter other birds, etc from getting into the nest. = Possible answer? Interesting behaviour to watch. She/he has been at it = for most of the morning.=20 >>=20 >> _______________________________________________ >> Nature mailing list >> Nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca >> = http://blomidonnaturalists.ca/mailman/listinfo/nature_blomidonnaturalists.= ca >=20 --Apple-Mail-27-267512659 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii <html><head></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi = Jim et al.,<div><br></div><div>White-breasted Nuthatches do indeed sweep = their nest holes with a beetle. As far as I know, no one really knows = why. It might be to deter other birds, predators, or parasites (lots of = beetles contain noxious chemicals).</div><div><br></div><div>European = and some other Old World nuthatches narrow the entrance of their nest = hole with mud, maybe to keep out other cavity-nesting birds, and = Red-breasted Nuthatches line the entrance with pitch from coniferous = trees, again for unknown reasons.</div><div><br></div><div>There's a = video of the European Nuthatch plastering its nest hole at this site -- = quite neat, but I'll warn you that the video takes ages to load: <a = href=3D"http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/eurasian-nuthatch-sitta-europaea/fema= le-plastering-nest-entrance">http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/eurasian-nuthatc= h-sitta-europaea/female-plastering-nest-entrance</a></div><div><br></div><= div>Cheers,</div><div>Andy = Horn</div><div>Halifax</div><div><br><div><div>On Apr 29, 2013, at 4:08 = PM, James W. Wolford wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>[ValleyNature] re behaviour of = nesting WB Nuthatches</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: = 14px; "><br></div> Thanks for your note, Bernice & Bill! Is = it the Cambridge area where you live? (nw. of Coldbrook?). I will = send your note and questions to our two lists of naturalists for = feedback on your interesting observations. Glad you have some = white-breasts back! Cheers from Jim, in B.C. for another 10 days = or so.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">The Naylors <<a = href=3D"mailto:bbnaylor@ns.sympatico.ca">bbnaylor@ns.sympatico.ca</a>><= /font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">April 29, 2013 12:40:39 PM = ADT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">"James W. Wolford" <<a = href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>></fon= t></div><d