Tits on the Town Moor!

Looking thoroughly stumped a few days earlier: all the wildlife had vanished. Like the train companies say: wrong kind of snow.

As part of my #bbctownmoor project, I popped out yesterday to take advantage of the fine weather – an oasis of a day in the seemingly endless winter gloom. I’m taking photos of all sorts of things for the BBC project, from the cows and the Hoppings fair to the runners and the wildlife. Yesterday’s trip followed an unsuccessful foray a few days earlier when it snowed and everything was frankly hiding. In truth I was hoping for foxes (I could smell them), but frankly I was open to finding anything with fur or feathers, so was delighted when I heard some blue tits singing. Actually singing in January! Music to my ears. I spent a little time with a pair of tits (ahem), who were happily searching for insects in the dead leaves of the trees bordering part of the Moor. A couple of wrens struck up song too, which was nice to hear. I then started looking for other common birds like great tits, robins and blackbirds, but what really took my attention was the high pitched triple whistle of long-tailed tits nearby. I started out being stealthy in the woodland, but then realised that the two birds working their way through the foliage looking for insect morsels couldn’t have cared less that I was crashing around nearby. Good job really, because keeping up with these tiny creatures as they flit from branch to branch never staying still is impossible without cracking a few twigs underfoot: speed rather than stealth. Long-tailed tits often travel around in large groups of 10-20 or even 30 or more, but it was lovely to even see just two. As I trogged through the woods I even got a distant snap of a great spotted woodpecker playing hide & seek. A good day with the camera. Anyway, I’ll shut up now and let the photos do the talking.