Daytime roostng birds

[DorsetDunk]

hi all
when my mobile home was moved onto site the outer skin was punctured up by the eaves leaving a small hole and a local great tit roosts there through the winter,I often hear him scrabbling to get comfortable in the night
in the mild weather in early winter i was surprised to hear him return around mid-day and leave again an hour or so later with the tell-tale scrabbling sounds of his departure and a couple of times there after i have heard that distinct sound in the daytime when the day was warm and mild, though i cant prove it was not another bird checking out the roost on other occasions
now i wonder if he was having a siesta when pickings have been good and he could afford to come back and sleep it off
this also could explain when walking through woodland in winter when we have mild spells that there is a distinct lack of activity at times

[Jackaroo]

Originally Posted by DorsetDunk

this also could explain when walking through woodland in winter when we have mild spells that there is a distinct lack of activity at times

Yep! They've all nipped back to your place for a power nap.

[Dogghound]

Birds like any animal have periods of inactivity or low activity. Tits usually roost at night and show a peak in activity early morning and again later on in the afternoon (outside of the breeding season). Especially around mid-day when activity decreases they tend to preen which can take a considerable amount of time. They tend to do this in sheltered safe locations. Great tits in particular also tend to roost in holes when they moult (Late May-early October varying with age and time of the breeding period). This could also account for this behaviour.

[DorsetDunk]

thanks for the info Dogghound

I can hear the bird ruffling feathers in the act of preening though the complete silence suggested to me that the bird did spend some time sleeping
I have seen juvenile long tailed tits snuggle up on a branch and doze for a brief period after been fed some particularity fat caterpillars by the parents