Coal Tits! (1 Viewer)

[Pam_m]

I have been watching a Coal Tit this morning using up so much energy hiding the Sunflower Hearts in all sorts of strange places! This has been happening on and off for the last couple of weeks. The question was raised on the 'Weather 'thread on the reason for their behaviour.
The RSPB give this information:A regular visitor to most peanut feeders, they will take and store food for eating later. I had known that this is what they do, much like a squirrel burying it's nuts! No laughs please, this is a serious post!o

I am still puzzled as to why they do this! I suppose being the smallest of the Tits it has to get the food when it can before it is bullied of the feeders or wherever else food is to be found. The energy it must use up in this odd behaviour must be enormous, especially when it is a cold spell. It seems a bit like taking one step forward and three steps backwards! Strange! What also baffles me is why do they not store the food in one place for consumption later? Why plant food here and there when the chances are it is not going to be eaten by themselves? Weird behaviour! |:S|

Anyway, I reckon I will have some pretty looking trees and pots next Spring/Summer if any of the hearts germinate!:-O Imagine Sunflowers growing on your greenhouse or roof tiles!:eek!:

 

[Wendy Morris]

Yes, Pam! If my Coal Tits don't eat their stash of sunhearts this winter, my neighbour will have sunflowers coming from under his garage roof tiles! I haven't seen any other hiding places, but I guess it would go some way to explaining why sunflowers pop up in odd places.

 

[NIK III]

Hi Pam,

I haven't seen mine storing this year yet. I think they must be taking seed home to next door's conifer. In previous years they have stored all over my garden, in tops of canes and other strange places like you say. I've never noticed them retrieving, but then there are always plenty in the feeders. I've not had any sunflowers popping up. Maybe other garden critters get the benefit.

 

[bill moss]

Hi Pam,

Strange, I don't get that behaviour, perhaps because I have mixed seed feeders out as well as S hearts and they tend to go to those.

Don't talk about Squirrels burying things, mine has a thing about conkers and (probably) peanuts. Here it is burying a conker and then looking around to make sure that nobody has seen where it is.

Bill

 

[Wendy Morris]

Crafty little chap, Bill! The one that visited me a few weeks back has not been in evidence since, perhaps he's gone looking for conkers too!

 

[Ruth Daniel]

My Coal Tits have been very busy of late too tho I can't say that I've actually seen them stashing......I had one on a fat ball this morning and it was definitely feeding.
They do seem to arrive at the feeding station in the quiet moments as if they are waiting their chance so maybe that is one reason for their odd storing behaviour? that they are just getting to the food when it's quiet rather than when they are hungry???

 

[Pam_m]

Hi Pam,

Strange, I don't get that behaviour, perhaps because I have mixed seed feeders out as well as S hearts and they tend to go to those.

Don't talk about Squirrels burying things, mine has a thing about conkers and (probably) peanuts. Here it is burying a conker and then looking around to make sure that nobody has seen where it is.

Bill

Interesting replies Wendy, Roy, Bill and Ruth. Thanks.:t:

Bill, I also have mixed seed feeders out as well as the S. Hearts. I suppose the S.Flower hearts being sturdy they go for those!

Love the squirrel pics!:t:

 

[brianfm]

I remember looking this up sometime ago Pam as the Coal Tits that visit my garden behave in the exact same way. Your explanation is more or less what I read too.

Coal Tits behave at feeders as they would do generally, where they compete to some extent with Blue and Great Tits which will take precedence in the pecking order. The Coal Tits will nip in and out when they get the chance. I have certainly seen them working at great pace.

I wonder if the reason for storing in different places is simply an insurance policy. In that if one lot of stored food is found by another bird/animal and stolen they have other stores to fall back upon. I assume that's at least one of the reasons why the likes of Squirrels do the same.

Afraid I'm not to sure why Bill's Coal Tits seem so relaxed. Maybe your just too generous Bill!

 

[palval147]

Hi Pam,

Strange, I don't get that behaviour, perhaps because I have mixed seed feeders out as well as S hearts and they tend to go to those.Don't talk about Squirrels burying things, mine has a thing about conkers and (probably) peanuts. Here it is burying a conker and then looking around to make sure that nobody has seen where it is.

Bill

Same as you, Bill, I haven't noticed our Coal Tits burying anything, they just take a sunflower heart & fly into the tree to eat it, then repeat that untill they are full or get disturbed, then they fly off.
Our squirrels do bury things though.

 

[Kits]

Same here, Val. The coal tits feed at the feeder and don't store. However, my lawn is full of holes from the squirrels ...

 

[Pam_m]

Just found this on Coal Tits.

Insects, beech mast and conifer seeds are among the Coal Tit's natural diet.
In the garden, they prefer black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts and occasionally suet.
When food is plentiful they hoard it by hiding it all over the place so that they food for later when times are harder. Unfortunately, the Coal Tit's memory is not as great as its ingenuity in hiding places and you will often find forgotten sunflower seeds germinating in the most unlikely places!

Great Tits can sometimes be seen watching a Coal Tit stashing away its seed and then go and raid it.


http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/coaltit.htm

So I am not imagining the Coal Tit storing food it seems! It appears there are not many of us seeing this happen in the garden. Or maybe it is just me watching the birdies too much and not getting my jobs done!o

 

[brianfm]

Just found this on Coal Tits.

Insects, beech mast and conifer seeds are among the Coal Tit's natural diet.
In the garden, they prefer black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts and occasionally suet.
When food is plentiful they hoard it by hiding it all over the place so that they food for later when times are harder. Unfortunately, the Coal Tit's memory is not as great as its ingenuity in hiding places and you will often find forgotten sunflower seeds germinating in the most unlikely places!

Great Tits can sometimes be seen watching a Coal Tit stashing away its seed and then go and raid it.


http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/coaltit.htm

So I am not imagining the Coal Tit storing food it seems! It appears there are not many of us seeing this happen in the garden. Or maybe it is just me watching the birdies too much and not getting my jobs done!o

No your certainly no imagining it Pam as this study at Newcastle University shows http://content.karger.com/ProdukteD...33870&ProduktNr=223831&filename=000113239.pdf

It seems the Marsh Tit is another of the tits that store food.

 

[palval147]

Our Coal Tits are unusual then, but come the colder weather they might start to store food, I suppose.

 

[BazR]

Hi Pam.
I was reading through all the comments on Coal Tits stashing food, and thinking that it would be lovely to see one, let alone one stashing its grub. A few minutes ago while sitting here at the computer, something outside caught my eye. I looked up to see a Coal Tit stashing a sunflower heart in a crevice in my stone wall. To say I was gobsmacked, but delighted, is an understatement. I was only sat here because Pam wanted me to get some info for her. What a wonderful start to my day. Good old serendipity.
Baz.

 

[Wendy Morris]

Good news there, Baz!

Two have been on the sunflower hearts already this morning, but have just flown to a wall to consume them and then come back for more.

 

[Ruth Daniel]

Amazing Baz!!!:eek!: Isn't it funny how these things occur!
I will watch my Coal Tits more carefully from now on!!!

 

[Pam_m]

No your certainly no imagining it Pam as this study at Newcastle University shows http://content.karger.com/ProdukteD...33870&ProduktNr=223831&filename=000113239.pdf

It seems the Marsh Tit is another of the tits that store food.

I had to use a dictionary for a few of the words, Brian!:eek!::-O

An interesting link. I was as you know just referring to my garden Tits as it isn't often I get a Marsh Tit on the feeders! Be a good garden tick though wouldn't it!
So the Coal Tits are certainly not alone in their 'squirreling away' antics!

Thanks for the link! I have learnt something new today!:t:

 

[Pam_m]

Hi Pam.
I was reading through all the comments on Coal Tits stashing food, and thinking that it would be lovely to see one, let alone one stashing its grub. A few minutes ago while sitting here at the computer, something outside caught my eye. I looked up to see a Coal Tit stashing a sunflower heart in a crevice in my stone wall. To say I was gobsmacked, but delighted, is an understatement. I was only sat here because Pam wanted me to get some info for her. What a wonderful start to my day. Good old serendipity.
Baz.

A wonderful start to your day indeed, Baz!:t:
Bet you were 'chuffed to little mint balls'! o I am really pleased for you.The Coal Tit is such a super little bird! Very endearing! A regular visitor to your garden now I hope!

 

[matt green]

Interesting thread, and I too never realized Coal Tits stashed food in such a way!! When I've watched them before I'd always assumed they were perhaps taking food back to the young at the nest!!

Any piccies yet, Pam?

Matt

 

[pie]

The number of Coal Tits have increased enormously this past week, I see them visit the feeders frequently often dashing off with food to eat nearby. I wonder if they are storing it as well?
This behaviour will be an interesting feature for the community magazine, so I'll keep my eyes peeled & see what happens.
Thanks Pam for highlighting such an interesting thread about this lovely little bird! :t: