Robin
A pair of Nuthatches
marsh tit
Coal tit
Bluetit

two faalow Bucks smiling for the camera

Bluetit

Coaltit
Nuthatches like nuts!
and so do marsh tits

Back to Eyeworth Pond.

We went back to Eyeworth for an hour or so and witnessed the frisky ducks in the car park, the por female was being harassed by several drakes!
meanwhile the little blue tit was looking for a mate.

There are now 5 males and 4 female mandarin ducks and hopefully they are thinking about raising a family or two.

A couple of sparrows.
The little coal tit was having a quick snack.

The Tit Family

The weather has not been that good the last couple of days and although we have been out and about Birdwatching, i have not posted much. So here are some members of the Tit family. First we have the Longtailed Tit. (Aegithalos caudatus) With their long tails they are very distinctive and are often seen in small flocks. I often get them in my garden, but they flit about so quickly they are hard to get photos of.
This is the Coal Tit.(Parus ater) He is the smallest and is often bullied by his larger relatives.They are very common in the Forest.
The Marsh Tit (Parus palustris) is distinguished from the coal tit by as he does not have the white nape patch or the flashes on his wings. The Marsh tit is very similar to the willow tit , but they are not as common.
Next we have the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) he is a very common garden bird With his blue head he is easily distinguished from the bigger Great Tit.
Finally we have the Great Tit, (Parus major) he is the largest of the Tits and is about 14cm in height. Great Tits nested in our bird box last year and I am hoping they will do so again this year They are already inspecting it.

We have one other Tit in the British Isles, the crested Tit but they are mostly found in the Scottish Highlands. The Bearded Tit was once thought to be a member of the same family but it is now thought to be more closely related to the babblers of tropical Africa and Asia.

Three Blue tits
Mr and Mrs Mandarin Duck

A Nuthatch attacks the Fat Ball

A little coal tit waits an opportunity to swoop down to the food

High up in a very tall tree a Hawfinch

Idling Away an Afternoon in the Sunshine.

Armed with a few supplies of seed and nuts I visited a couple of car parks in the Forest. it was such a beautiful afternoon to sit in the sun and just watch the birds. By scattering some seed and nuts on a couple of old tree stumps, I was soon surrounded and entertained by our feathered friends.
I really like the cute little coal tits. In the Secret lives of garden Birds by Dominic Couzens and PeterPartington ( A lighthearted read if you like to know more about birds) they say that the poor little coal tit is mobbed and bullied by the great and Blue tits on average every 3 minutes of the day so every time they got a seed or nut I cheered them on! All too soon it was time to go home and I had to drag myself away from their antics but there is always tomorrow.

Bluetits
Nuthatch

Marsh tit
Blue tit
Chaffinch
Coaltit
Robin
Pied wagtail
Mandarin Duck. These are not a native species , but many have escaped and they can be seen on many lakes.

Blashford Lakes again

It was very cold at the lakes, but plenty of activity around the feeders.
I like this little coal tit

and a puffed up finch

Here a Siskin is feeding, Blashford attracts large numbers , but this is the first time I have seen one on the feeders.

and finally a Chaffinch