Curious Blue Tit behaviour

[Tinkerbell]

I wonder if anyone has an explanation for the behaviour of the blue tits in StuartDH's photograph of the exhausted blue tits - see Gallery - Birds - Blue Tits 1.3.2005 which illustrates this. I am sure those of you who are knowledgeable about birds will soon come up with an explanation, so please let us know what is going on.

[nightshade]

do you refer to the birds on the ground ? they are probably anting and eating the parasites in revenge!

[Helen]

Were they by any chance fighting? I've never seen this behaviour before. I have seen robins fighting like this though. They would fight, rise up into the air in combat then fall to the ground. They will then proceed to try and pin the other one to the ground.

Given that it was taken in March - breeding season upon them etc, I suppose anything is possible!

[StuartDH]

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age.php?i=1149

By the sounds of it, they probably were fighting. I was standing about 20ft away and they completely ignored me as they swirled around each other like a mini whirlwind to about 30ft high and then suddenly dropped like stones to the floor.

They lay like this for about a minute then did it all over again another 2 or 3 times, before flying off in opposite directions.

Great spectacle, but I was never really sure what they were up to.

Cheers

Stuart