Crested Tits

Last week was the return of the Parakeets but this week an even better return to the garden. Crested Tits, seen below on the feeder camera.

Coming from the UK, where these birds are really rare, I’ve never really got over the excitement of being able to see Crested Tits in my garden. Throughout the year they are occasional visitors but during the Winter, from November to February, they are more or less permanent.

Certainly in my garden they are drawn to the food on the feeders and I guess in general that is why they come into these suburban environments, protection from the harsh weather and easy access to food.

Although I think they generally leave my area at the end of the Winter I did see last May a family group, adults with newly fledged chicks, which spent a couple of days in the garden. This would indicate that this pair at least had stayed long enough to nest fairly nearby.

A Crested Tit nest would just be too much excitement for me.