Tits
This family are all year-round residents and four are amongst our most common garden species. They are mainly woodland, park and hedgerow (with trees) species. They regularly come into our gardens, especially in Winter as wild food becomes scarce. Regulars at feeding stations almost anywhere. All are fairly comfortable around humans. The Bearded Tit is actually unrelated to the others, but grouped here alongside as most people call them tits.
Willow Tit
Bearded Reedling
(aka Bearded Tit) (The reason this species is partitioned is because it's not a true member of the Tit family. Included here for convenience).
What a stunning bird this is. Primarily a beautiful golden colour, to blend with their reedbed habitat. Always a thrill to see, as they are difficult to find. If you are lucky enough to encounter them they're surprisingly comfortable around people. The most likely time to see them is around September, when they emerge from the reeds to access grit trays, put out for them, and gravel paths, to stock up on grit for the colder months. That's when their diet switches from mainly insects to seed.
The top 2 photos are males and photo 3 is a female, taken at RSPB Leighton Moss in Sept. Photos 4&5 are juveniles taken in June at Hen Reedbeds in Suffolk.
Blue Tit - Although very common and widespread everyone loves to see blue tits. They're not afraid to come quite close, especially in Winter when they're hungry. Always welcome at garden feeders. A stunning little bird really. We don't have many species with bright blue on them.
Coal Tit - The smallest of the tit family. Although they always give way to the bigger species, they are persistent at garden feeders. They tend to dash in, grab a sizeable
piece of food then dive off into cover to consume it, in relative safety. The obvious broad, white stripe down the back of their head easily distinguishes them from anything else.
Fledgling
Great Tit - Our biggest tit and perhaps the most striking. A very widespread bird. Frequent garden visitor. Slightly bigger and more boisterous than the other tit species.
Long-tailed Tit - This species probably wins the prize for cutest tit. They're like a ball of fluff with a very long tail. Their beak is tiny. They're always welcome in the garden in Winter, when they pass through. They love suet feed and it's nothing unusual to see 6-10 birds all clinging to the same fat ball feeder. They always travel around as a small flock. They can come surprisingly close to you sometimes, as they don't seem to fear humans.
Juvenile
Fledglings
Marsh Tit & Willow Tit
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Unless you know the songs of these two species you'll be lucky to tell them apart. They are incredibly similar. Many experts say that the only true way of distinguishing them is to see the white spot on the base of the upper mandible of the Marsh Tit, to be something near100% certain. You can just see this in my two photos. Fortunately they sing/call a lot, which gives them away. The Willow is generally a bit scruffier and has a pale panel towards the top of the folded wings. They are much less common than the other species and are always a treat to see. In fact the Willow Tit is in serious decline now.
Marsh Tits taken at WMBC Belvide, Staffs
Willow Tits taken at SWT Westport Lake and WMBC Ladywalk, Warks