Coal Tit (Parus ater)


Coal Tit (Parus ater)
Originally uploaded by Peter Orchard
I am not sure whether I was surprised to see that the Coal Tit was number 14 in the top garden birds list or not. They are certainly regulars in our garden but, unless I am walking in coniferous woodland, I rarely see them 'in the wild'

They are active little birds that don't stay around long, in and out for a quick raid on the seed normally but this one paused long enough for me to get a snap and, obligingly, he turned his head to one side to show the diagnostic white stripe down the back.

Coal Tits have a reputation for hoarding seed and we were amused for a couple of days last winter watching two of them in turn collect a seed from the container, then fly down and bury it in the garden. They never came back for them of course but I think the Blackbirds found most of them.

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