Great Tits are a common British bird, related of course to the Chickadees of North America. This is Britain's largest "Tit" species and one of 59 worldwide. Males are more brightly coloured and they have a thick black band which goes from the throat and down between the legs. Female birds are not as brightly coloured and the breast band is narrower and doesn't extend all the way between the legs but this is variable. At my feeding station the resident Great Tits are one of the most regular visitors and usually the first birds to find the food.
Jays are another species that I see at my hide on most visits. Normally this species is very wary and will never put itself in danger. I am flattered that the Jays that come to my hide almost certainly associate me with food and will come to eat the peanuts that I leave out for them. I am almost certain that they know I am watching them. This intelligent bird is a colourful member of the crow family. They are very good imitators and I get to know of there imminent arrival by the calls that they make just before they arrive on the food. I can recognise individuals by the calls they make. This bird calls like a jackdaw in the distance and its mate imitates a distant calling Buzzard.
I can hear Song Thrush constantly at my Caravan hide, sometimes very close by but I don't see them close enough for a photograph very often. Today one popped down on to the lawn in front of me and I managed a few photographs. This was pleasing for me as it's another species to add to the list of birds photographed from the wood. Song Thrush is not a rare bird in the least but they are not as common as they were. I remember as a boy, 55byears ago they were as constantly seen in the garden in the way that we see Blackbirds now.
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