[The Barn Owl]

Hi there,
I was sitting at my desk getting more and more bored, and for some reason this question popped into my head: Do Marsh or Willow Tits ever come to garden feeders, and if so, which food attracts them?
Thanks in advance,
Sam

[tracy]

I have a marsh tit who visits everyday,it seems to like fruit flavoured suet pellets(sort of look like atora suet)

[scampo]

Originally Posted by Raptors Rule

Hi there,
I was sitting at my desk getting more and more bored, and for some reason this question popped into my head: Do Marsh or Willow Tits ever come to garden feeders, and if so, which food attracts them?
Thanks in advance,
Sam

A friend has had marsh tit at his feeder, but I don't think willow tits come to feeders - they are so uncommon, these days, too.

[The Barn Owl]

Thanks Steve and Tracy, I know a place near me that would be ideal habitat for them and I was wondering if I should set up a small feeding station there for them.
Sam

[martin kitching]

Originally Posted by scampo

..........but I don't think willow tits come to feeders - they are so uncommon, these days, too.

Willow Tits will come to peanut cages although I've only managed to see this once in the last 3 years.

martin

[hil5]

Marsh tits come to seed feeders also.

Minsmere in Suffolk has regular visits to their feeders in Winter.

[Adey Baker]

Both species will come readily to feeders with sunflower seeds top of their list of favourite food.

Of course, the birds need to be in the general area in order to attract them in the first place.

[Jos Stratford]

Though I'm not in the UK, I commonly get the two species at my feeders, both those in my garden and a woodland site. Take a look at posts 245 and 246 of this thread:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....&page=10&pp=25

As for type of food, though the sunflower feeders are often favoured, they also happily tuck in at the peanut feeders and on the fatballs. So basically anything that goes in the feeding station.

In the UK, there is a locality in Norfolk that, I believe, gets both at feeders (though Marsh are the more common there).

[Adey Baker]

All shots at either Burbage Common and Woods or Fosse Meadows, Leics.

[Thelma W.]

Originally Posted by Raptors Rule

Hi there,
I was sitting at my desk getting more and more bored, and for some reason this question popped into my head: Do Marsh or Willow Tits ever come to garden feeders, and if so, which food attracts them? Thanks in advance,
Sam

Hi, Sam, I am not too far away from you.

I have both Willow and Marsh Tits come to my feeders from time to time. I seem to have a mix of habitat locally which suits almost everything! I can watch them for some time on feeders close to the kitchen window, when it is a little easier to distinguish the two.

According to BTO Marsh Tits like Insects, spiders, seeds, berries and nuts, while the Willow Tit likes Insects spiders and some seeds though it seems to me birds have their own preferences according to what is available in their own territory. They do not always conform to what the books say! I haven't seen either for a while. They seem to come for a while at certain times of the year or in certain weather conditions and then disappear again. I would have to look at my records to see if they follow a pattern.

Birds are wonderful for relieving boredom aren't they, even when they are not around?

[birdman]

Well we get regular visits from one (I think just the one) Willow Tit. I should say this is self ided, and so I could be wrong. I'm 99% sure... but only 1% expert!

My point? Er.. dunno... but I guess yours could be either.

Either way, nice one for the garden

[The Barn Owl]

Thanks for all the replies - very interesting, particular the comments from Thelma about both species relatively near to my house. I shall bear it in mind if I do decide to start a feeding station in a place where I think there is suitable habitat.
Cheers!
Sam