Have you seen the bird of the month?
For May it is the: Great Tit (Parus major)
Where can I find them?
They are common and can be seen in all areas of the reserve, throughout the year.
The best places to look and see them are around the Kitchen Garden, Netley Meadow, The Valley Floor and at some of the bird boxes, as they inspect them for a potential nesting location.
About the species
The Great Tit is the largest UK tit, weighing around 18g. It is colourful with green and yellow feathers and a striking glossy black head with white cheeks.
They can be seen naturally flitting among small branches of woodland trees looking for insects, caterpillars and spiders.
The species is on the UK green list, meaning its population is currently stable.
Great Tits typically live for three years.
Male’s have a broader\bold black stripe on its underparts whilst the female’s stripe is thinner:
 |  |
| Male Great Tit | Female Great Tit |
They are resident birds, and do not move far from their local area. In part this is because of their reliance on garden feeding.
What do they sound like?
They have amazing and varied repertoire of calls, and sometimes mimic other species. It is known that if you hear a species, you do not recognise it may be a Great Tit!
The most common song is an easily recognisable ‘tee-cher… tee-cher… tee-cher…’.
Where do they nest and what is the nest made from?
In the wild, they are cavity nesters, with small holes in tree trunks the main natural nesting site. They are very adaptable and one of the users of nesting boxes, found within the reserve.
The male will show the female a potential nesting site and she will decide if it is suitable. The female builds the nest alone, with the male bringing in some food for her at times.
The nest is made mostly of moss and the nest cup is lined with soft materials such as hair or down feathers.
The Great Tit nesting behaviour is very similar to that of the Blue Tit, although their clutches are smaller with typically between 7 and 9 eggs laid.
The eggs are incubated only by the female and for around 14 days. The chicks will then spend around 22 days in the nest before fledging. Sadly, not all chicks make it.
Great Tit’s time their nests with the burst of trees (mainly the Oak). The chicks will be mostly fed on caterpillars and spiders. Both parents will need to find as many as 1,000 caterpillars per day to feed them! They cannot pop into a local food store 😊
A young Great Tit is a duller and yellower version of the adult, without the bold black stripe on the underpart.
If you manage to spot and photograph a Great Tit, within the reserve, why not share it on our Facebook page?