Cute as a Coal Tit

I have kept the peanut feeder topped up all winter, through to spring and summer.  Many folks drop off in late spring , reckoning there is enough natural food available to the birds, but encouraged by visits from Great spotted Woodpeckers and spring visits from Siskins,  I feel I have already reaped a reward. 

The June procession is every bit as interesting with visits from adult tits accompanied by their recently fledged young.  The young Coal Tits have just appeared, together with an adult or two.  The routine is repeated: noisy young sit in cover, close to the peanut feeder and call incessantly.  The vocals are backed up by constant wing shimmering and of course that big begging, open gape. The latter is outlined in bright yellow and wide, giving the young bird a comical pose, and triggers a positive response from the adult.  

So, cute on two counts: the look is cuddly and also commands a response  from the adult.  The young fledglings are wise too, despite all the noise, they remain in cover and move within a few feet of  the feeder but generally remain off the feeder, expecting the adult bird to provide and serve up ( sounds familiar enough!).

So, if I didn’t feed through the summer, I would certainly miss all that adolescent action.  By feeding birds through summer, you also ensure that  young broods and stressed adults have a ready supply of food that can be accessed easily, especially useful in our variable and often wet summer weather conditions.