Mixed tit flocks

 Out on our walks the past few days I have heard the high pitched contact calls of flocks of tits.  The most obvious (and my favourites are the long-tailed tits but they have been with other tits in the trees.  Sadly, long-tailed tits did not appear on our feeders in the sunshine today but bird feeders are an excellent way to observe birds and to really see the differences in the species.

First to arrive are the Great tits with their black stripe and white cheeks. They are bigger and bolder than the other tit species.

There were a lot of Blue tits, with their blue caps.

I wasn't watching for long but saw only one Coal tit: the white patch on the back of the head is their most obvious feature.  As we head into another lockdown from Thursday, this could be a good time to stock up on bird food so that you can spend some time watching the birds in your garden if you have one.  Window feeders are also available if you don't.  It can be quite relaxing seeing them come and go.