The Eurasian nuthatch is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe. Like other nuthatches, it is a short- tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye- stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies. Birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat. The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests. The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, supplementing its diet with nuts and seeds in autumn and winter. It can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables and is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk. It has a large population and huge breeding area, and is therefore classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of Least Concern.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_nuthatch

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

715:

The papacy of Gregory II began; his conflict with Byzantine emperor Leo III eventually led to the establishment of the popes' temporal power. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_II

1743:

French physicist Jean-Pierre Christin published the design of a mercury thermometer with the centigrade scale, with 0 representing the freezing point of water and 100 its boiling point. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius

1845:

Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition departed from Greenhithe, England; the entire 129-man complement would be lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%27s_lost_expedition

1962:

During a televised birthday celebration for U.S. President John F. Kennedy at New York City's Madison Square Garden, actress and model Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday to You". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Birthday,_Mr._President

1997:

The Sierra Gorda Biosphere, which encompasses the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, was established as a result of grassroots efforts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Gorda

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

front runner: (idiomatic) The most likely winners in a contest, election, etc. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/front_runner

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your — your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action.   --Malcolm X https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Malcolm_X