Sunday, April 25, 2010

Nectar sipping Blue and Great Tits

I've just seen this afternoon what I watched last year, at first hardly believing it; Blue and Great Tits sipping nectar from plum tree blossom.

I've seen bullfinches pecking into buds on winter plum twigs, a habit for which fruit growers can apply for a license to shoot them in certain parts of the country.

I've not heard of nectar sipping by any northern bird, only tropical species. Has anyone else seen it or read of it?

Steve Blacksmith

PS first bats for me over tree tops in Bankhouse Wood tonight.
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7 comments:

Goldon Gordon said...

Hi Steve
I have not seen any birds taking nectar from blossom but I have recorded both Great & Blue Tits taking bumblebees and opening the stomach up to eat the nectar. They discard the rest of the body uneaten so were obviously just killing them for nectar.

I sent this information for Ted Benton when he was writing the New Naturalist book on Bumblebees as it was something he had not seen (he picked it on on another forum where I posted) and he used it in the book. It had been reported that dead Bumblebees were being found under trees covered in blossom with holes in their abdomen and no one knew the killer. I spotted tits in my garden at Park Rd in Elland taking bees by grabbing them in one foot and pecking at the abdomen and feeding on the stomach contents. I do not know if this is a “learned” trait or instinctive behavior by tits as I have not heard of or seen this behavior in my new home here in N Wales.

Last winter I watched two Bullfinches taking buds off Honeysuckle next to my bird feeding station in preference to any of the numerous foods on offer, this happened in a very cold spell. I found it astonishing that the Bullfinches ignored all the foods around the station despite other birds feeding in large numbers and I never once saw them take any other food except Honeysuckle buds.

8:31 am
David Tattersley said...

Steve, I have watched both Blue Tit and Blackcap feeding on nectar produced by winter flowering Mahonia in December for the last 2 or 3 years though for some reason no other species seem to be attracted to it.

4:06 pm
J.uttley said...

Likewise Steve, I have seen blue tits feeding on Mahonia blossom during the winter. Also feeding on Hibiscus flowers (at their bases on the outside of the flowers); it was in Southern Spain!

6:07 pm
Jeff Cox said...

Just seen our first bat flying around the house Steve.

9:08 pm
Pollyanka said...

Hello, I have just seen a blue tit sipping nectar from my apricot tree blossom. Seed in the feeders clearly not enough. Cheeky!

2:25 pm
MSt said...

I have seen blue tits and great tits sipping nectar from multiple blossoming trees in Lithuania.

8:13 am
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1:29 pm

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