BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!

Subject: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:30 AM

This morning, my great and blue tits were joined by a coal tit.

I love this time of year - the gentle defoliation means the exposure of all those crannies that were covered in the summer. The lack of leaves on the bastard service tree meant I got a clear view of the coal tit that had previously not been visible.

As for the rest of the garden....

The blackbirds have denuded my bush of berries, they're welcome to them because I need to trim it to more treelike stature before next Spring. They're going to be in trouble when it comes to househunting.... we're acquired a robin who's househunting too! He's been bouncing around the garden as if he were on springs, shouting the odds from the bay tree and daring the cats to come and have a go.... plucky little bugger he is.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:36 AM

This time of year the long tailed tits return in flocks too. It's fun to see how many can fit on a single peanut feeder.

We still have plenty of berries I think nature must be anticipating a hard winter in her abundance but then our blackbirds much prefer anything I grow for my own table.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Paul Burke
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:42 AM

All we've got in our garden is a tell-tale tit, a silly old crow, a daft bustard and a funny tern.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:47 AM

Paul - you've got to get in more :)

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:49 AM

Hey, look, I got a loverly bunch of cocoanuts too but I don't start threads about them!

Well, occasionally I do...............

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: skipy
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:51 AM

Hallie berries!
I'm staying out of this one!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: John O'L
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 07:23 AM

I've got a basketball, a rugby ball and a soccer ball...

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: kendall
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 07:30 AM

That bird is called a black capped Chickadee here. In fact, it's the state bird.
Friendly little tits they be too. Not uncommon to be able to draw them to eat from your hand.

Ok Spaw, friendly tits...go

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 07:36 AM

I've already GOT my own home thank you!

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 07:48 AM

That's fine Robin.. but could you please stop crapping down my spade handle?

Yes, I know the spade should have been in the shed but it's had an 8ft spider web on it until recently, and I didn't have the heart (or nerve) to move it.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Jeri
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 08:05 AM

Oh, ponder the Parus atricapillus
In size, 'twixt a bicycle and a bacillus
But ignore Alfred Hitchcock, he'd never kill us
Would the genial Parus atricapillus

I love them - they seem to fly away only out of some sense of face-saving responsibility to the other birds.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 08:07 AM

If I had an 8 ft spider on MY spade, I wouldn't move it either...

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Grab
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 11:35 AM

Sadly we seem to have a bit of a shortage of birds - probably the fault of the neighbourhood cats. Ah well, moving house soon, and we'll try and rent somewhere out in the country where there's more interesting fauna than just the local variety of Chav Tit. (Which has the locating call of "KEL-LY", because the aforesaid Kelly's friends are too thick to work out complex mechanisms like doorbells...)

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 12:04 PM

Beautiful tits,
Spotted today.
Tried to grab them,
They flew away.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 02:49 PM

I saw a Great Tippler's Nightcap yesterday, plain as day! Right there in the backyard.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 02:55 PM

So that's what was pressing into my back when you leaned over me to type on your computer!
G

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Rasener
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 03:33 PM

Talking about tits they don't seem to come much bigger than that woman in Get Me Out Of here, I'm A celebrity.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 04:31 PM

Which James Bond Villain had three?

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Les from Hull
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 04:35 PM

Liz - spiders don't often reuse a web, although they might get two days out of one. You can sometime test for occupancy with a tuning fork. If it was a common garden orbweb spider it would be in the middle of the web anyway. But I do appreciate your kindness to arachnids.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 04:44 PM

Most only have two!

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:31 PM

Are not two enough then?

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:40 PM

Kindness nothing, the bitch was bigger than Shelob and she sat there for nearly a month!

Georgian - there are some guys who would say two dozen are not enough....

The tits have been busy at the feeders.. they have ignored the peanut net and the mixed grain, going straight for the black sunflower seeds hanging in the middle. Seems they're as picky as some children I know...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:47 PM

Liz, I can assure you that one lovely pair of tits would be adequate for me but I guess I never found a pair that would settle with me.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: bobad
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 05:56 PM

"I never found a pair that would settle with me."

Have you tried suet?

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:06 PM

suet?

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:07 PM

did someone mention "dumplings"?

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: bobad
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:17 PM

For georgiansilver:

Speedy Birdcake by Jane Asher

You need: Suitable container - coconut shell or clean yoghurt pot, a heatproof pan, string.

Ingredients: Beef suet or lard (you need one part of lard to two parts of any of the following. You can just use seeds but any of the other ingredients are suitable too), seeds, nuts, dried fruits - raisins, sultanas - finely chopped bacon rind.

Instructions:
1. Melt or soften the suet/lard in a pan.

2. Pour the other ingredients you are using into the suet and mix well.

3. Place the string into the container so that half of the string is in the container and half is outside. Hold the string in place and pour the mixture into the container over the string.

4. Leave the mixture to cool.

5. Once the suet has hardened, hang up your container by the string that you left hanging outside the pot or coconut.

Enjoy watching the birds eating the food. You may see tits, greenfinches and, if you are lucky, great spotted woodpeckers. Blue tits and great tits may perform acrobatics and hang upside down at times while they eat.

You may get to see great tits performing acrobatics while hanging upside down.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:27 PM

Don't often see a coal tit. Long tailed, great and especially blue - loads of them usualy - seem to be more common here. I haven't spotted many tits on the feeders yet.

My favourite sight lately has been a couple of Jays. I hear them in the woods often enough but I rarely see them. They have been picking up food from the drive and have got as close as about 6 feet from my bedroom window - don't think I've ever seen them that close before.

There has been a woodpecker hammering away in the wood but I've not seen it.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:29 PM

If you have cats, be careful when positioning your fat ball... pussies like eating fat and those seeds have a dire effect on them... see this thread for details.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: skipy
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:35 PM

Villan, Faith Brown.
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 07:55 PM

Joe O., wasn't it the Man With the Golden Gun?

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Rasener
Date: 15 Nov 06 - 09:17 AM

Thanks there Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 02:04 AM

Abstitootly correct, Elmer! It was Scaramonga, the Man with the Golden Gun.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: terrier
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 10:33 AM

I meant to do my work today-
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field.
And all the leaves were calling me.

And the wind went sighing over the land
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand-
So I said SOD WORK TODAY,
Im gonna sit here and count Tits,
Oh, I may as well open that can of beer....

Apologies to Richard LeGallienne

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Schantieman
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 11:04 AM

Tits like coconuts!

























and sparrows like breadcrumbs.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Nick
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 12:39 PM

We used to live between Chipping Norton and Banbury and in winter used to have a whole set of tits except for bearded and crested ones - Blue/great/coal/long tailed tits would come to the bird table and we had willow and marsh in a wild bit at the back of the garden.

Lovely things.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: My guru always said
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 02:05 PM

Microwave is good for melting lard prior to adding suet, peanuts, grain & sunflower hearts for bird cake. Can't imagine why these are so expensive in the shops, why does anyone buy them?

The bird-lawn is becoming very attractive, so much so that a juvenile peregrine falcon landed on top of the bird-table the other day. Seem an adult in the garden a few days ago too! Nature's way!

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 02:23 PM

Favourite cassette tape = Dolly Partons' Greatest Hits

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 07:38 PM

It wasn't a double A release was it?

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Rowan
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 07:40 PM

Just as well there was no thrush among all those tits. And speaking of friendly arachnids, yesterday I found a small scorpion sitting in my kitchen, under the fridge door, catching a bit of cool.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: mrdux
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 12:58 AM

our yard regularly hosts a foraging flock of bush tits. . . really.

michael

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 07:43 PM

What is a zebra?
26 sizes larger than an "A" bra.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: GUEST,...
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 06:11 PM

The zebra joke doesn't work in an English accent.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Bee
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 08:39 PM

I've got flocks of monotone peeping nuthatches in the spruce trees, along with the chickadees, blue jays and four Canada jays. Cormorant in the lake the other day, and various small ducks.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Ferrara
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 09:33 PM

Liz, never saw a pic of a coal tit before. Lovely. They aren't quite like our chickadees.

Here are some great photos of
coal tits.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Ferrara
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 09:58 PM

For the Brits reading this I just put up pics of our Black Capped Chickadees here

and here,

and of Carolina Chickadees, the kind I get in my yard,
here

and here.

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 11:47 PM

As the Search site says...

"Didn't get the results you expected?"

http://search.ninemsn.com.au/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=AS5&q=Australian+tits

I've been trying hard, but the best I can do so far is ...

Two years ago, Australian army helicopter pilots were suspended and an inquiry ordered after they were photographed flying a "show us your tits" banner during a sweep through the Surfers Paradise ...

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 11:52 PM

BTW - Liz, you will note that story - complete with picture, appears in the "Sport" pages of The Australian newspaper - not the "Nature" section...

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 04:22 AM

Your chickadees look like our long tailed tits.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: I've got 3 sorts of tits!
From: Bee
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 08:05 AM

I love our Black-Capped Chickadees: 'chick-a-dee' they say all winter, but in early March they change their song to 'sweet weather'. That and the appearance of Common Mergansers on the lake are the first signs of spring here.