Tits prove the bravest feeders

LATE winter slowly transforms into early spring and the activity at the bird table has increased.

Where I live, the food for wild birds is at its annual low point. Seeds and berries have been eaten and, apart from a few buds, nothing has started to grow to replace them. So my trips to the shop for peanuts, bird seed and fat balls have become more frequent, while wild birds queue up at the feeders and fights break out as they squabble for access.

The troupe of long-tailed tits, that used the feeders for several weeks in the winter, has gone. But one pair remains. They always visit the feeders together and usually in the afternoons. Although they’re among the smallest of the species that use the feeding station (if you don’t count their ridiculous tails) they’re among the bravest, standing their ground even when they’re buzzed by a greenfinch or a pack of house sparrows. They’re favourite feeder is the one that contains fat balls studded with small seeds, though they occasionally visit the peanut feeder.