(Found this post in drafts - it got missed being published back in May and disappeared down the list).
Filling up the birdfeeders one day and there was a mass of twittering from the flowering cherry tree above me . It was a whole family of Coal Tits. I went in to fetch the camera and back out again but they weren't impressed and all flew off across the garden behind.
Later from indoors I tried again but they just don't sit still long enough. The parent bird doing the feeding looked a bit rough! I expect the babies were keeping it busy.
A lovely illustration from my book An Illustrated Country Year by Celia Lewis shows the difference between all the small members of the Tit family. I've seen 4 out of the five here. We used to see all five at the smallholding
How lovely, we get those very occasionally but have hoards (flocks? 😀) of the more common blue tit.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I only get a few - sadly - too enclosed garden I think
DeleteI'm so pleased that there are people who continue to feed the birds. I do feel, though, they could sit still long enough and pose for a few good photos in return!
ReplyDeleteHad to stop feeding for the summer - the starlings plus all their relatives cleared everything out!
DeleteI love the long-tailed tits. They also troop together and would fly through the gardens with their soft twittering every lunchtime.
ReplyDeleteII'd love them to visit more often - very welcome
DeleteLovely illustration of the differences. Must admit the coat tits are probably my favourite tits, I like their less showy plumage.
ReplyDeleteThe poor thing feeding babies looked very tatty
DeleteIt's the unfortunate Coal Tit's fate to be bottom of the pecking order when it comes to garden birds. They are bullied by every other bird, even those innocent-looking little Blue Tits. As a result they fly on to the feeder whenever it happens to be vacant, grab a quick beak-full, and then scarper. I wonder if the amount of energy they expend is worth the tiny amount of sustenance they get each time.
ReplyDeleteOne visit per spring is probably their limit
DeleteI love titmice, but I've never seen a marsh tit or a willow tit. The blue tits are very busy in my garden at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI've stopped feeding for now due to the starlings but will start again soon
DeleteThat's a beautiful illustration of all the 'tits'. I have rarely seen any since we moved here, maybe the sheer number of hedge sparrows we have in the hedges along the canal mean that the tits don't get a look in here.
ReplyDeleteNot a single sparrow have I seen since moving here
DeleteThat is a lovely illustration! The garden in my old house had blue tits and great tits. My new garden has crows, magpies and pigeons!! :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteIn 2020-2021 I spent an hour a day walking in a local wildlife preserve along the river, and learned to hear, and see the birds, it was a great experience in a trying time.
ReplyDeleteA lovely experience
DeleteYour bird feeder attracts a wide variety of birds. Seeing 4 out of 5 varieties is pretty good. Which tit are you not seeing? Lately I see red cardinals and crows and an occasional red tailed hawk.
ReplyDeleteThe garden is too enclosed for the willow tit and Marsh tits to visit
DeleteThanks for sharing the illustration of the different kinds of tits. I haven’t seen any of the variety in our garden but nothing gets a look in between magpies and gulls! Catriona
ReplyDeleteMagpies were getting to be a real pain at Clay Cottage
DeleteYour coal tit looks a lot like our chickadee. Off to have a listen to their song.
ReplyDeleteAs Debby says your coal tit looks a great deal like a chickadee here across the pond.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.