My Current Fav

In earlier posts I have questioned the rationale behind a bird’s name. My current favorite bird is no exception. The Tufted Titmouse clearly has an odd moniker. With a bit of research I discovered that the Tufted Titmouse’s name comes from Old English words “tit” and “mase,” basically meaning “small bird.” The word “mase” eventually became obsolete and this part of the name morphed into the familiar word “mouse.” My husband said he thinks that the Tufted Titmouse looks like a mouse – perhaps because of its gray color. I think it looks like a nocturnal creature – with those exceedingly large, black eyes. I suppose mice have that same look as critters that tend to be most active at night.

• 

Fortunately, the Tufted Titmouse is quite active during the daylight hours which is magnificent for me because I am quite charmed by the little bird. These adorable birds appreciate the offerings found at our platform bird feeders and frequent them often. You’d think they were feeding an army of a hundred hungry birds based on how many seeds and nuts they take away. But, that’s because they are one of the species – like the Black-capped Chickadee – that create a cache where they store food for the cold, winter months. I read that they actually create many different caches and they have been found to remember the location of nearly all of them! The titmouse’s motivation to stash food caused me great angst when I first saw them arriving at the feeders. I ached to get a good photo but the little titmice (yes, that’s the proper plural for titmouse) flew in, snatched a seed and flew off in such a hurry that I was left little or no time to focus and get the shot. Here is a sequences where I was able to capture (mostly in focus) one of the birds stealing away with a sunflower seed.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sunflower seeds aren’t all this bird takes away. Here’s one leaving with a fairly large peanut.

• 

• 

• 

Over time the birds became a bit more relaxed on the feeder when I was there to film. When they remained to “process” their food, I was able to observe the technique of shelling a seed by holding it between the feet.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I was also able to capture that behavior in a nearby tree that the bird flew to, after it grabbed a seed from the platform.

• 

• 

• 

• 

I’m sad I didn’t get these next shots in focus. I even saw one of these little birds flying off with a whole almond.

• 

• 

The Tufted Titmice are agile birds. I observed them hanging off the sides and even up-side-down from the feeder that contains peanut-suet pellets.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

While providing feeders draws birds into an area which makes filming them easier, I always prefer images of birds in natural settings. Here are a few of my best shots.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Why am I so enamored with the Tufted Titmouse? I love their looks. Who could say they aren’t super cute? I like that they are dexterous in their handling of their food. They are acrobatic in their movements. They are often seen in pairs which tugs at my heartstrings. They are industrious in their ability to stash food for the winter. As a photographer, I am pleased that they tend to announce their arrival with a distinctive vocalization and their light color lends itself to good quality images. At times it even appears that they are smiling which is hard when you don’t have lips! What’s not to like?