Coal tit behaviour

BugBear99 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-12-2011, 09:51 AM

I feed sunflower hearts all year round, and this week it's got busy in my garden! I thought I only had one coal tit visitor, now I think it's two, who alternate coming into the garden, I haven't seen them at the same time yet though. However, I have noticed that they don't stay to eat in my apple tree like the other tits, but instead fly off in the same direction behind my house, then come back soon after for more. It's a bit like they're storing the food or taking it to a nest...I know it's been mild so far this winter, but surely it's not the latter?! Are they just shy and want to eat away from the other birds in a safer location?

Jim Ford · #2 (**permalink**) 11-12-2011, 09:59 AM

Our coal tits also take food away from the feeder to eat. I think they also store food - I know nuthatches do because I've seen them do it. We get sunflowers popping up all over the place in summer, from last year's food caches. This is another reason why we feed whole sunflower seeds, rather than 'hearts'. Hearts wouldn't last and would go 'off' quickly.

Jim

Shrike · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2011, 10:17 AM

This is normal behaviour for coal tits , they come to feeders/bird tables for quick raids and don't hang around as they get bullied by the other tits.

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 11-12-2011, 10:18 AM

Yes coal tits often cache food they will be taking it and storing it for when the weather gets bad often in cracks in bark, amongst needles in dense vegetation etc. This is probably as a result of a recent temperature drop. These birds know there is a good food source in your garden but do not know how long it will last, so store the food for later. They usually do most of their winter caching in Autumn which co-incides with spruce cones opening Especially around here were the larger populations exist within the pine forests on the edge of the moors.