A male blackcap approaching the suet feeder

I’ve been trying to catch a clear shot of a blackcap ever since they returned earlier this autumn. Currently we have two males and a female in close attendance but they are shy birds and tend to stay within wherever there are sheltered parts of trees. However recently I’ve noticed that in the harsher weather they have been more active around both feeders and prepared to share the space with other small birds.

Whilst having an afternoon cup of tea I opened the sliding door so I could watch the suet feeder hanging off the trellis just outside, but no birds visited. Having slid the door shut there was a rush, with six long-tailed tits flying back and forth to the tree branch with their pickings. A few tits tried to muscle in but were onlu outsiders at the feeder.

Suddenly this blackcap flew onto the chain of a flower basket and after a few seconds of building up steam, it suddenly descended to have a few snacks. So it had to be blipped. The tit was much more direct.

I’ve added an ‘Extra’ showing a few of the log-tailed tits congregating together as they always do. Unfortunately I couldn’t hear their characteristic twittering through the closed door, but just seeing them all together makes me smile.