Coal Tits

There was a time when we used to see coal tits fairly regularly in our garden, often feeding off the peanuts, but we didn't see many this summer. We thought it might have been that this small bird was put off by the chaffinch and sparrow hoards, unlike the tiny siskins which argue with anything.

So it was a great pleasure one day to see a pair working their way through one of the scots pine trees in our neighbours' garden. They weren't at all shy, allowing me quite close before they moved - and then only to a different part of the tree.

They were great fun to watch, very busy, cheeping cheerfully to each other, and defying gravity wherever they went. It wasn't possible to see what so interested them but it was obviously food of some kind. They stayed for about a quarter of an hour, so whatever it was must have been rather good, before flying off.

Then, about a week ago, a pair appeared at the nut feeders - and they had no problems fending off any competition. They've been around ever since, so we can only assume that, throughout the summer, they were finding something in the pine trees far more tasty than peanuts.