Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Another bird, I can't seem to help it. :-)

I think we have been having particularly large numbers of birds in the garden this year. There were 10 of these whizzing around at one point. They are ploughing through bird seed at an astonishing rate.

Blue Tits used to be known for pecking the caps off milk bottles to eat the cream on the top. This was in the days when A) you got your milk delivered and B) it had cream on the top. No doubt this gave us all cancer/heart disease/scrofula and has been revoked. There is a date and a place for the first observed Blue Tit/milk bottle cap juxtaposition, oh yes. Southampton 1929.

These birds, like Bullfinches observe cute courting behaviour as the male brings the female little gifts of food to eat. The youngsters will also beg for food from their parents after they have left the nest. Every spring our garden becomes showered in tree blossom as the Blue Tits scramble over it, picking over the flowers to eat insects and other tasty treats.

Where is he, that giddy sprite,
Bluecap with his colours bright
Who is blest as bird could be
Feeding in the apple tree.

William Wordsworth

(I am linking to this horrible and totally unrelated story as it is of interest to me)