Blue Tit
A cheeky blue tit
Latin Name : Parus Caeruleus
Resident or visitor : Resident
Size : 11.5cm
Appearance : Colourful green, blue, white and yellow bird, characterised by a blue cap and a black line through its eye. Juveniles are a lot more yellow in the face, as opposed to adult white.
Call : Makes a lovely trilling noise when announcing its arrival, otherwise a rather quiet ‘see-see-see’
Diet : Insects, spiders, caterpillars, but in the garden will eat almost everything : particularly fond of hanging from peanut feeders and fat balls, also partial to sunflower hearts and seeds.
Nesting habitat : Woodland – holes in trees, man-made nestboxes (with a 25mm hole) also a firm favourite; moss, grass and twigs combined to form a nest by the female. Usually just one brood per year
Offspring :8-10 eggs (less in gardens) incubated by female for 13-16 days; both parents feed young, who fledge within 3 weeks.
General information and observations : Blue tits are a total delight to watch – they are very vocal, and both cheeky and acrobatic. They are very opportunistic feeders. They are not too bashful around humans, but are wary feeders when sparrowhawks are known to reside nearby. They tend to be scared off by their bigger cousins, the great tit, but happily form flocks with great, coal and long-tailed tits during the winter. Snape Wood has a thriving and healthy population of blue tits – you may think you have just one or two visiting your garden : chances are it’s a whole lot more !
Please add your sightings and observations below !
Themocracy
Daily sightings in and around Reserve
Lots of blue tit fledglings now out and about, feeding with parents