Nuthatch frenzy

[Eve]

Hi all,

Just to report what I saw this morning on the track behind Molino del Santo, known as la Fresnedilla.
Not a rarity by any means but it was wonderful and I would like to share:

I heard lots of rustling in the many oak trees that make the track so beautiful, there were acorns falling all around and I heard gentle pecking sounds, too delicate for a woodpecker. And then there they were all around me - several nuthatches drilling the bark and stuffing acorns in the holes, flying  with acorns in their beaks, fussing about upside down on the tree trunks looking for the best spot for their treasure. They were so obsessively busy I got very close and had a great view in my binoculars, it felt like a private little nature show, only missing David Attenboroughs voice!

Question for experts please: do nuthatches actually leave the acorns in the holes for later consumption or just place them and keep pecking on them on the same day? Do they have other "frutos secos" on their menu?

Great spotted woodpecker made an appearance later as well. He (it was a beautiful and brightly coloured male) was working away on a hole in another oak. It looked as if he was trying to make it big enough for his size as he kept going in to measure, then kept digging deeper and spitting surprisingly big chunks of wood.

Here is my question: why now? Is it for the next breeding season or was he possibly making an all-purpose shelter?

Saludos,
Eve