Mr Phoebus
New Member
Cock pheasants.
in praise of tits!
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
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coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Aww, the woodpecker's just been and gone and now all the feeders are hidden by a swarm of long tailed tits. 
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
My tits seem to be bigger than last year...
Mr Phoebus
New Member
That's because they're great tits.
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
In this wind, you'd think they'd be blue...
Mr Phoebus
New Member
I was watching all the blue tits today all around the feeders at work.
They know we're in for a cold spell.
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
A timely reminder to me to top up the feeders this weekend.
My wife got barred last year, when she went into the local garden shop & asked the lad behind the counter if he had fat balls.
My wife got barred last year, when she went into the local garden shop & asked the lad behind the counter if he had fat balls.
GordonB
Guru
- Location
- Somewhere just north of Ipswich
Commonly referred to by many birders as "dollies", I'll leave you to work it out........
Gordon
GordonB
Guru
- Location
- Somewhere just north of Ipswich
One of the best bird sightings I ever had was of a Merlin that came flying flat out from behind me just over my left shoulder, did a fast banking turn and smacked into the pigeon sitting on the ground about 20 yards in front of me. It then sat there looking seriously confused as it had just "killed" one of the plastic decoys I had put out in front of my shooting hide.
Another raptor got the better of me one freezing winters day at Felixstowe Ferry, an area that could double for a Shakespearean blasted heath in weather like that. I was trying to find the Red Breasted Goose that was supposed to be somewhere in the middle of a flock of Brents when the effects of a couple of cups of coffee made themselves felt. Resorting to a ditch in order to prevent frostbite where you really don't want it, I climbed back out straight into the path of a Marsh Harrier flying very, very fast at very low altitude. I don't know who was the most shocked, but it missed me by mere inches as I tumbled gracelessly back into the ditch.
Gordon
Another raptor got the better of me one freezing winters day at Felixstowe Ferry, an area that could double for a Shakespearean blasted heath in weather like that. I was trying to find the Red Breasted Goose that was supposed to be somewhere in the middle of a flock of Brents when the effects of a couple of cups of coffee made themselves felt. Resorting to a ditch in order to prevent frostbite where you really don't want it, I climbed back out straight into the path of a Marsh Harrier flying very, very fast at very low altitude. I don't know who was the most shocked, but it missed me by mere inches as I tumbled gracelessly back into the ditch.
Gordon
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Long-tailed tits are beautiful little birds, aren't they? They seem to be forever playing a boisterous game of tag as they chase each other excitably from tree to tree. I remember at school we were occasionally allowed to play ''pirates,'' - no doubt banned as a health and safety nightmare these days - where we chased each other around the gym apparatus without touching the ground. Tremendous fun!
(Technically they're not tits but seeing as they look and behave pretty much like tits it only seems right to call them tits.)
I live by the tidal stretch of a Thames tributary and we get herons, cormorants, kingfishers and grey wagtails, all just ten minutes from London Bridge.
(Technically they're not tits but seeing as they look and behave pretty much like tits it only seems right to call them tits.)
I live by the tidal stretch of a Thames tributary and we get herons, cormorants, kingfishers and grey wagtails, all just ten minutes from London Bridge.
rualexander
Legendary Member
No tits, but here's a couple of pics taken last summer, Chaffinch and Sparrow I think :
This swooped on a blackbird in a small shrub then got tangled up in the branches and the blackbird escaped. It then walked round our pond, perched long enough for this photo and then flew off.
John
For the past few years these have turned up in the late spring, although perhaps more appropriate for Christmas!
John
For the past few years these have turned up in the late spring, although perhaps more appropriate for Christmas!
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
[QUOTE 1637802, member: 9609"]Both of these have long gone, swifts leave late July early August and Swallows go early September. The Swallows should be approaching South Africa by now, they usually arrive late December.
[/quote]
More likely to be house martins ("cheep, cheep, cheep") than swifts (don't tend to land very much) or swallows, aren't they? Though I did think martins left for the winter too.
One of the advantages of living where we do is that we get red kites fairly regularly. We've also got a jay or two which sometimes visits, and did hear a pair of tawny owls over the summer.
[/quote]
More likely to be house martins ("cheep, cheep, cheep") than swifts (don't tend to land very much) or swallows, aren't they? Though I did think martins left for the winter too.
One of the advantages of living where we do is that we get red kites fairly regularly. We've also got a jay or two which sometimes visits, and did hear a pair of tawny owls over the summer.
Glow worm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Near Newmarket
[QUOTE 1638157, member: 9609"]
I'll shut up now, totally obsessed with the migrants, could go on about them for hours.
Here is a little video of Swallows feeding in my garage
[/quote]
Great vid! I'm pretty obsessed too, and put up a house martin nest box about 5 years ago after a pair built a nest on our eaves that sadly collapsed. This year, at last, a pair occupied the nest box and reared two broods.
I love the thought of 'our' martins now possibly reaching central Africa. Though as I understand it, not that much is known about where exactly they go in winter.
I was amazed to note a late Swallow last week spotted at Portland Bill - let's hope it hasn't left it too late (see http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm scroll down to Dec 2nd). A swift was also seen in Hunstanton in late November- a remarkably late one. Maybe the warm Autumn has thrown them a bit.
I'll shut up now, totally obsessed with the migrants, could go on about them for hours.
Here is a little video of Swallows feeding in my garage
[/quote]
Great vid! I'm pretty obsessed too, and put up a house martin nest box about 5 years ago after a pair built a nest on our eaves that sadly collapsed. This year, at last, a pair occupied the nest box and reared two broods.
I love the thought of 'our' martins now possibly reaching central Africa. Though as I understand it, not that much is known about where exactly they go in winter.
I was amazed to note a late Swallow last week spotted at Portland Bill - let's hope it hasn't left it too late (see http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm scroll down to Dec 2nd). A swift was also seen in Hunstanton in late November- a remarkably late one. Maybe the warm Autumn has thrown them a bit.
Alien8
Senior Moment
- Location
- (A little bit north of) Cambridge
My tit only comes in at night when it's cold.
