SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelos)
Of all British songbirds, the song thrush is probably the most loved. Its loud clear song, delivered most often from the very top of a tree, may be heard in the early part of the year, even in the most wintry of weather, and as spring approaches the period of singing gets longer and longer until one sometimes gets the impression that there’s no end to it.
LONG TAILED TIT (Aegithalos caudatus)
This delightful little bird (one of Britain’s smallest) is easily recognised with its pink, blackish and dull white colouring and, in particular, its long tail which forms over half its total length. Single birds are rarely seen. Out of the breeding season, it usually travels in family groups of up to a dozen or more, including aunts and uncles as well as well as the year’s young and their parents. The groups may be seen flitting from tree to tree in follow-my-leader style (it has been described in Birds Britannica as “a succession of whirring sticks with globular, pink ping-pong ball foreparts”). Although mainly insectivorous, in winter long-tailed tits may be frequently be seen in gardens feeding on nuts and other items – it’s quite a sight to see perhaps half a dozen together on a nut-basket with their tails sticking out in all directions.