Tits are great! And by tits, I of course mean the birds—what were you thinking 😂?!
Spring is here, and the tits are all at(w)itter! It’s a joy watching them while working in my garden; even better when I can put my full focus into observing them while soaking up some much needed Vitamin D. On days when my CFS acts up and I can’t make it all the way past the back door, I watch them from my window. They never fail to bring a smile to my face; not to mention that they’re an amazing help in saving me from cabin fever!
Tits tend towards a symbiotic relationship with us humans. They love using our nest boxes and are enthusiastic about eating the food we leave out for them. It’s one of the reasons tits are so well studied!
If you love watching them in action as much as I do, you can quickly pick up interesting facts. For example, pecking order is always a fascinating thing to witness. You can see that poor coal tits get shoved out of the way by blue tits, who in turn get shoved away by great tits if they think they’ve found a tasty morsel. Long-tailed tits, one of my favourites because the first brood often sticks around after fledging to help raise the second one, seem to stay out of it. Clearly they’re above such petty squabbles 😂.
The sound of a great tit’s mating call is definitely one of the most familiar spring sounds out there. But did you know that great tit males use up to 40 variations in their song? Chances are high that if you’re unsure about a certain bird call, it might well be a great tit flexing its skill! Of course, this is all to impress the ladies 😉.
That being said, most tits are actually monogamous and many of them mate for life! A few years ago, the neighbour’s cat unfortunately managed to snatch one part of a pair of great tits. They’d been building their nest in our garden, and I’d been excited for their chicks. I was devastated when I didn’t manage to intervene and stop the cat. I still remember the surviving partner searching for their mate, before singing a lamenting tune for the rest of the afternoon. It still haunts me to this day, even though I know that nature can be cruel sometimes…
What are your thoughts on tits? Do you have a favourite? Let me know all about it in the comments, and/or tag me in your bird and nature posts—I’d love to see them! Also, if you haven’t already, sign up to our newsletter to get access to our amazing guides and resources!
Want a feeder or nestbox of your own? Keep an eye on our Wild About Nature section; we have a variety of things for our feathery friends available at all times.
And remember, as always, you’ve got to nourish to flourish 🌱💕!