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Bossy thrush and busy nuthatch

I have a solitary thrush visitng my garden at the moment to feast on the rowan berries.  I did not know how teritorial they are - it stands in my oak tree on watch and chases away everything that comes into the garden.  Are they always like this?

I also have a nuthatch  and have watched it taking sunflower seeds from the feeder and poking them into the crevices in the oak tree bark.  I didn't know that they did this either.

  • I think most of the resident thrushes are territorial when they get something to defend. A berry bush close to my house was protected for years by a pair of blackbirds. Oddly, they briefly tolerated a visiting song thrush, but wouldn't let any other local blackbirds anywhere near. So I guess the other thrushes will exhibit similar behaviour if they get hold of a good berry bush.

    As Alan says, nuthatches do collect food and stash it away in crevices for later, so that's normal behaviour.

  • Hello Nancy, welcome from me up in the very far north of Scotland, in Caithness. Never had the Nuthatches in the garden and also never knew that they stashed their food. Intresting to read about the Blackbirds defending their food. I have seen blackbirds in the garden having a good chase around the bushes as the Robins do, to let them know that it is their territory.