THE TIT FAMILY
by
contents.
Blue tit 1
Marsh tit 8
beaks and feet 10
great tit 12
Willow tit 22
bearded tit 25
Long tail tit 31
coal tit 38
birds washing 43
bird feeders and nests 46
Graphs: 52
<unclear> 57
puzzles 62
favourite pictures 63
HAUNTS - Very general
NEST - The blue tits' material for a nest is moss wool and feathers; in a hole in a tree or a wall or in like a old place like a pump or a letter box
or a street lamp.
Eggs - 7 or 8 or more, white, spotted with light red; like those of the great tit, but smaller. April or May.
FOOD. - chiefly insects. it is most useful in destroying greenfly and other insects.
Notes - "Tsee tsee ch-ch-ch-ch-" si si si and others; Song, two or three high notes and a trill.
A blue tit's egg.
on the next page you will see a blue tit's egg. The egg resemble those of other tits
A Blue tit's eggs
here is a close up of a blue tit's egg.
hello
BLUE TITS
The blue or Tom tit is another very popular little acrobat. Smaller than the great tit, and even more often seen hanging upside down on a twig or coconut. The plumage is primrose-yellow on the underparts and a greyish blue and green above. The head is blue and white.
Despite its blue cap, and tail, the tiny blue tit may look green or yellow. The blue can be vivid but usually shows up best at close range. young ones have yellower heads
Blue tits are everywhere except for the bleakest Scottish isles and uplands They need tall trees with holes so are most abundant in deciduous woods conifers have few sites and in most of europe are avoided; garden nestboxes are often used. Where there are plenty of holes blue tits abundant. britain has 3.3 million pairs Ireland a million: if there are few holes; blue tits lose out to great tits. but if there are plenty, blue tits will be commoner because they can reach more of the available food.
Blue tits are classic peanut eaters; naturally they take spiders: insects and seed including grubs hidden inside bark or galls. in Spring they turn to caterpillars; which are the high-energy food of growing chicks in gardens; there are few caterpillars females than in woods so females are in poorer condition, lay fewer eggs and <unclear> few chicks
The blue tit's box.
the picture at the side is a box. that looks like the one in my garden. the box in my garden has a nest. The male keeps on flying out for food while the female is looking after the chicks
This is inside a blue tit's box only blue tits can get in and out. this is a picture of young chicks getting fed.
blue tits.
With only five little ones, this is quite a small blue tit family. Often a record-breaking 15 baby tits hatch at one time.
this baby is cleaning himself in a puddle.
The blue tits in my garden.
a few weeks weeks ago some blue tits came in our garden. We put out some nuts and other food and then they came down and ate it all up. A few weeks later they came and made a nest in our tree. My dad put a blue tit box up for them. We kept on coming in and out of the box for twigs and branches and food they had some chicks We had them in our box for about 3 weeks. We heard the sound of them. then they went and the they came back when they were older in to our garden and the were very big for their age.
cheep cheep
A Marsh tit.
A Marsh tit egg.
a closes up of a Marsh tit's egg.
Beaks and feet.
BEAKS
Thin and pointed: Typical of insect-eaters such as the Warblers Tits and Dunnocks
FEET
Three forwards facing toes, moderate nail: Typical of perching birds such as the thrush.
Where the blue tit lives
Key -
Blue - Where it lives
White - Where it does not live.
Great tit.
HAUNT general
Nest made wiith grass, moss, hair, and feathers; in a hole in a tree or wall, or in a pump, flowerpot or even a letter-box.
Egg 6 or 7, occasionally 12 or more, white spotted With light red. April or May.
Food insects; nuts; seeds; also fat and scraps
notes si si si and a sharp "chink". The song, "tea-cher" is a high and low metallic note repeated several times
about a great tit.
Great tit: like the blue tit, the young great tit is a pale shadow of its parent, but you still see a sign of the typical pattern: a dull greeny-black head with yellowish cheeks (rather than glossy black and white) and a hint of the stripe down the middle underneath. Anyway great tits are bigger longer-winged and longer tailed than blue tits with stouter legs and beaks.
A great tit's egg.
here is a close up of a great tit's egg.
the colour of the eggs is a creamy white, marked with tan or brown spots which vary both in size and in density.
(this is the colours of a great tit's egg.)
The blue tit's egg and the great tit's egg are almost the same pattern.
NEST boxes
Stages in making a 'concrete' box - used by a great tit.
D
Encourage coal, marsh blue and great tits to nest in your garden. or remove the top half of the front panel to provide a nesting site for robins: made from Scandinavian Softwood treated with a preservative that does not harm birds Approx. 20 x 22 x 15cm.
Great tits are easier to tell apart. (males have a broader black band down their middles
The beech tree.
IN WINTER, PARTICULARLY WHEN MAST IS PLENTIFUL MANY BIRDS FEED ON THE NUTS
IMPORTANT WINTER FOOD FOR THE GREAT TIT THAT ITS ABUNDANCE IS believed to influence their population.
Sun bathing
Many species of birds sunbathe from time to time. When conditions are right, several may use the same patch of warm sunshine and settle down close together: even the odd grey squirrel might join in, too!
Why do they do it? Several explanations have been offered: for example, forcing parasites in the feathers to creep about in the sudden heat and risk being picked off; and manufacturing vitamin D in the exposed skin.
In most cases, though, especially with small birds, it Just looks as though they enjoy it or, put it another way, if you don't think birds enjoy themselves, they feel the cold and need to warm up.
My trip to
one day my mum me and jenny went to . before we went to a hide we went to look at some other birds . it was a fun day we played some games then I saw a great tit it was on some nuts a square box a feeding box it looked like a cage. there was also a circle nut and feeding box too. he had lovely colours . .you had to look through a fence with holes in it.
information. on a great tit.
<poem>
My poem
A great tit's in my garden
right here next to me it flaps
wings it jump up and
down and doesn't look at me.
The great tit's very colourful
and happy as can be. It hops
around the garden and doesn't look at me.
It flies on to the bird table
and jumps and does dances
and eats all the nuts up and
flies on to the tree but it does not look at me.
It flies on to washing line
as quickly as can be. It
runs on the other side and
jumps down on ME.
</poem>
A Willow tit EGG.
Bearded TIT
When we first moved here we met some people who were called and . We kept on going round to see them. We told them about my project. and they gave us some information on bearded tits she said they have two names bearded tit or Reedling. they gave us some postcards and some books on bearded tits because there is not a lot of information on bearded tit the book she got us is too hard for me to read so she is taking bits out and writing them down to give to me to write down on my project.
(there is another post card on the other page.)
HAUNT Reed-beds only in east Anglia
LENGTH 6 ½ in.
NEST of sedges; lined with fine grass and reeds - flowers; just above the water, in herbage.
EGGS 5 to 7, whitish, speckled and lined with brown. April-August.
Food Mostly insects and small freshwater molluscs.
Notes "cht cht" and a twanging "ping".
a bearded tit's egg.
The ground colour is a creamy white, marked with specks; lines and thin streaks of liver-brown or near-black.
if you are lucky enough to see this reedling you will easily recognise it by itswedge SHAPED tail, and it bearded that is like a moustache.
The male has a light blue-grey head and very conspicuous black moustache lines, wide at the top and terminating in points at the base of the neck on either The wings are widely striped with rufous and grey and the back it tawny. The female is not so bright, and lacks the grey head and black moustache.
A Bearded tit's egg.
a close up of a bearded tit's eggs
bearded tit.
The bearded tits have specialist needs which can be met in smaller area (such as reed beds ) but still need a larger range of sites than Nature reserves can supply. bearded tits are quite rare. they call it reedling because it is not like a tit's real beak.
a long tailed tit's egg.
a close up of a long tailed tit's egg.
Long tail tit.
HAUNTS hedgerows , copses and woods
Nest. of moss, lichens wool and spiders webs; felted together and lined with countless feathers! In a bush or hedge. The nest is very deep and domed, the entrance hole being at the side near the top.
Eggs 6 to 15, white, speckled with light Red
April or may.
Food Mostly insects
Notes usually low "zup" continuously Repeated.
Long tail tit Long tail tit
Long tail tit Long tail tit
one day I went to . When we came down the road and after we park. I saw a Long tail tit on a tree that had no leaves on it was my first time I saw a long tail tit. long tail tits have long tail and they have pink on too. long tail tits are my favourite tit.
Long tail tit.
THE coal tit
The coal tit is distinguishable by the white patch behind the head. it climbs up tree trunks; rather like at tree creeper, and is bold, acrobatic and inquisitive, as all tits are its song is quite powerful cher-tee cher-tee and the call is a thin zee. Coal tits' length: <unclear> cm approx This is the smallest member of the tit family, and is common plantations coal tit often feed together in large flocks picking insects from branches of trees with their slender beaks They are quite easy to spot because of the white patches on the back of their necks The coal tit builds its nest in a hole in a tree trunk or sometime on the ground.
The coal tit is easily distinguished from the great and blue tits by its more sombre colouring. The upper parts are olive brown.
Nest of moss grass hair or wool.
Eggs 6 to 11 White, spotted light red eggs
Food many insects and spiders are their favourite.
Notes The coal tits' sound is If-hee If-hee .
A close up of an egg.
a coal tit's egg
a crested tit egg.
When I go bird watching.
When I go bird watching we always go and take our binoculars and a bag and some dinner and drinks in and paper and pen. here are some pictures of some binoculars
Some people take telescopes here are some. We do not have telescopes
This is when we are at . We are looking at a reed bunting and I'm listening for a bittern.
This is what we wear when it is for bird watching.
this is at Somerset I am looking at a little grebes.
I put a chicken carcase on top of the garage roof most of the birds have been eating the it was an overcast and cool day today.
Day - Tuesday
place - Somerset
Time 5 past 9
Key
blackbird
carrion crow
Thrush
Chaffinch
Pied wag tail.
Starling / black birds were pecking grass. the blue tits were pecking at the nuts
August 21th
Time 10 o'clock.
Day Friday.
Place my garden.
Key
Starlings:
black birds ;
blue tits.
chaffinch.
Sparrows.
a coal tit was hiding in the ferns and lots of Blue tit were on our sunflowers and nuts and sparrows
August 20th
day - Tuesday
time. 1.30
place. a garden in Somerset.
Key
Sparrows
coal tit
blue tit
1 blue tit pick at nuts on top of the table plus two Sparrows 2 more sparrows feeding from pea plants underneath bird table. blue tit flitting around from table to peas. the to swing and then to underneath bird bath then back to table.
August 30th
day Thursday
time 8 am
place Somerset
Key.
Blue tits
Sparrows
Empty nuts onto table and put bread crumbs out. 2 adult starling plus 1 young one came on the bird table 1 blue tit came but he got frightened away.
August 30th
day - Thursday
time 8.15.
place Somerset.
Key
Starlings
blue tit
Food/finish.
follow the path your own way and get to the middle.
these birds want food. the only one can have some food. find the food.
sorry
sorry
sorry
food
Bibliography
(1.)
Mum.
field guide to birds
The observers book of birds eggs
The observers' book of birds
The ladybird nature book of birds
The ladybird nature book of garden birds.
garden and field birds.
BBC Wildlife magazine
The Encyclopedia of birds.
The rspb magazine
young birdlife magazine.