The garden bird feeder is quite busy at the moment. These Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus are certainly taking advantage of it and they are welcome too.
May 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Tag: Blue Tit
Feeding Time
This beautiful female Greenfinch stopped by to feed on the sunflower hearts on my feeder the other day. A Blue Tit can be seen dropping by in the background.
December 2017, Rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
These have to be one of my favourite small perching birds. I am fortunate to have them regularly visit my garden and to be able to watch them feed. I often hear them singing in the trees.
A colourful and joyful garden visitor, this small bird has blue wings and tail and a green back. It has a bright yellow underside, and a distinctive black eye stripe on a white face with a blue crown.
They feed on various insects, especially caterpillars which are full of protein, and spiders, nuts and seeds. In the spring it feeds on pollen and sap, whilst in the autumn it feeds on berries. It often visits bird feeders.
They nest is a small cup of moss, hair and dead leaves lined with down in a tree hole or a nesting box. Lays 7-16 eggs in one brood from April to May. The fledglings hatch when the caterpillars are more abundant. They can live for up to 3 years.
Seen all year round, in woods of all kinds, also parks and gardens, and bushy places. Common and widespread across the UK except for some Scottish islands.
Photographs taken January and February 2014, rear garden, Staffordshire.
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