Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Coal tits. I've just never seen numbers like it in my life! Last week now, I've been f**king inundated with them. Catching un rung birds daily. Not knocking it, of course! Processing any bird is good. But, putting a ring on a new one is what it's all about Funny. How childish are we? I'm a very grown man myself. Yet, this morning, I had a coaly in my catching box and had just thrust my hand in there, to catch and extract it. I usually try for the proper, 'Ringers Grip' from the start. But, that's not always practical. And, being such tiny little things, I soon found this one just balled up in the closed palm of my hand. " Mmm. Handful of tit. " I thought to myself. Swiftly followed by; " Hmph. I should be so f**king lucky! (Snarf!) " Man of my age. I really should get a grip ....! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 12,023 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 See a nice family of long tailed tits ,working the back garden boundaries every summer ,most people in the row of houses along the side of ours has a tree or shrub/climber at the bottom of the garden. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted January 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Yeppers. LTTs come along my own ditch hedge here. We've had them in the mist nets before now. Trouble is though, they tend to come high and pretty much just carry on about their own business. I've never yet had one on my feeders, let alone coming anywhere near my traps. That be something. LTT in my trap cage! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 11,563 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 I have a fe LLT's visiting my garden most days,they do have a little feed on my feeders but they spend more time in a oak tree near my flights,i did see a coal tit in and out a nest box in my garden last week so fingers crossed they like the look and a brood happens in there this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 I get LLT on the feeders most days, they seem to be very for the want of a better word flighty, never spending more than a couple of minutes on the feeders. They usually arrive as a group and spend 2 minutes on the feeders then move on. I pick my grandson up from school and you have to be early to get a parking space, opposite side of the road where I park there is an old willow tree and most afternoons around 2.55 a group / troupe / flock? Of the LTT give the willow tree a good going over and within 2 minutes they have moved on along the hedgerow. I just love watching them. TC 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 I have only seen one Coaltit in 4 years, that was last year, not seen one this year. Shit photo as usual. TC 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
samba 534 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 great little birds get some regular on bird food Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted January 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Shit photo as usual. Only thing wrong with that photo is that my eye went straight to its right leg, and there's no f**king ring on it! Ye really need fir trees, for coalies. mate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) In my misspent youth, I used to do a lot of bird nesting, just for research as you did back in the 60's. I did have a little bit of a reputation of being a nest finder general ( thanks to the two bird bibles at the time, the two observer books which BTW I still have) If I was targeting a bird I would read up on where it liked to live and feed as common sense told me that is where I would find them. The only nests I have found of coal tits have been in deciduous wood land. I found that they prefered shallower holes than the rest of the hole living tit family, where you could see the bird sitting from the mouth of the hole. Of course their winter habitat may be totally different, in that conifers usually are a lot warmer and have more insect activity in the winter thus giving a better oppotunity for the birds to feed? TC Edited January 26, 2014 by tiercel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted January 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 TC; I believe ye probably quite right about the coal tits nesting habits. Do they not also tend to nest low down? I can't speak from any personal experience, as I have none! But, I know of a bloke who's probably the UK's leading authority on the f**king things. I seem to recall he offers them dinky little boxes too. Might be about four inches square? I have one out, here. I seem to recall it's 'thinner' than my usual tit boxes. But, I don't think it's any less deep. Your comment about how shallow they like to nest is noted. Bugger. I never knew that. Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pip1968 2,490 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 love finding coalies in breeding season ususally in holes in the ground or fallen brick walls in the woods,they make a hissing noise when you tap the entrance of the nest Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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