Long Tailed Tits

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 Three times in the last week I have noticed long tailed tits visiting our bird feeders (they seem to be attracted by the fat balls) so I thought it was worth a post. I have tried and failed to take a photograph of these birds that I am completely happy with as they are very restless birds and won't stay still.




These birds are intermittent visitors. We have a resident population of other tits, blue tits, great tits, and coal tits that are around most days. Long tailed tits are always on the move, around for a day or two and then off. The birds usually arrive in family groups (there were about half a dozen in this weeks group). They have a "skipping" sort of a flight and a characteristic trisyllabic "srih-srih-srih" call. The groups often fly in single file and give them selves away with a whirring wing beat and the characteristic call.

Diary Notes
Last nights trail cams were tripped 92 times - each time by bloody rabbits!
The garden is showing signs of spring with snowdrops and aconites poking through the snow.






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