Longchalk Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) Slow day in the hide today. New field to me, and what few birds I did see I missed like a one-eyed tart... But worth sitting there all day to suddenly be joined inside the hide by a pair of Long Tailed Tits. I had a camo jacket on and a shemagh on my head, so only just my eyes were showing. Little fellas were completely oblivious that I was there and perched about 10 inches in front of my face. Hopped about for a minute or more, with me not moving a muscle. Incredible little pinky-grey balls of fluff, smaller than a ping pong ball, with beady little black eyes, and that comically long tail. Had the gun across my lap and thought one was going to hop onto the fore-end for a moment, but as he was staring me in the face, presumably thinking "what the **** kind of tree is this then?" , I had to blink, .... and they were gone. Magic moment I will almost certainly never experience again. Edited January 11, 2014 by Longchalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROY Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 One of the best bits about shooting. Sitting on the flight pond this morning watching Buzzards and Marsh Harriers and seeing the sun come up absolutely magic. Didnt see many ducks but makes it worth it wether i bag a bird or not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 They're great aren't they, we regularly see them in family groups of 7 or 8 flitting through the hedgerows. Magical to get close to nature! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 A nice pair of tits takes a lot of beating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) brilliant, I wonder if our smallest birds long tailed tits fire/gold crests don't recognise humans as a threat we are just too big Edited January 11, 2014 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 There funny little birds always amazes me how they survive the bad weather etc being so small I was zeroing in my new rifle this morning and a tree creeper caught my eye going up and down the trunk of tree frantically looking for food sat there good fee minutes watching it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 A nice pair of tits takes a lot of beating. That's wrong on so many levels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaconBoy Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 normally only the 1 tit in my hide.......................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-b Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 We have a hide in the end of a group of Scotts pine trees and regularly have goldcrests and tree creepers in the surrounding trees never in our hide but close enough to apreciate and as we look down the small valley of the river dove we often see our local group of 7 buzzard's patrolling the line of poplar trees that run along the river! The sparrow hawks that dive bomb the decoy pattern the egrets that feed down the field in the river and the unusual little kingfishers we have that use the pine trees as a flight line from the river dove up the field through the pattern and on to the river goldbrooke 1/4mile behind the hide ! It's great to see others truly enjoying the land we have to shoot and getting every ounce of pleasure there is to be had but our nature and countryside!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickyh Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Makes me proud and lucky to live in this country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonseed Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Slow day in the hide today. New field to me, and what few birds I did see I missed like a one-eyed tart... But worth sitting there all day to suddenly be joined inside the hide by a pair of Long Tailed Tits. I had a camo jacket on and a shemagh on my head, so only just my eyes were showing. Little fellas were completely oblivious that I was there and perched about 10 inches in front of my face. Hopped about for a minute or more, with me not moving a muscle. Incredible little pinky-grey balls of fluff, smaller than a ping pong ball, with beady little black eyes, and that comically long tail. Had the gun across my lap and thought one was going to hop onto the fore-end for a moment, but as he was staring me in the face, presumably thinking "what the **** kind of tree is this then?" , I had to blink, .... and they were gone. Magic moment I will almost certainly never experience again. There's a good chance it would happen again tomorrow if you went back to the same place at the same time. My home office at the last house looked out on to the garden and an apple tree. In winter when they gang up they seem to have a set 'round' and you could almost set the clock for the time the flock would scour through the apple tree looking for dormant insects in its bark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I wish the chaps at the RSPB could see threads like this! Shows that shooters aren't all murdering psychos intent on blowing up anything with feathers. I was watching some Long-Tailed tits today. Hilarious little fellows. I'm a keen birdwatcher - not a good one! - and it's always good to see what's fluttering around you whilst waiting for a shot. Happy days in the country Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggysreels Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 The very fact you are on that land seeing those species is in part down to the fact you are shooting the land and reducing the corvids/grey squirrels .. RSPB wont admit to those facts, but they are 100% aware thats they are truth facts! .. responsible shooting encourages the overhaul bird species/distribution throughout the UK .. though it has to be said, l have seen irresponsible shooting having taken place. Just wish those type of people would pack in shooting and take up another sport, it harms the responsible shooter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 It certainly isn't all about puling the trigger is it. Slow day in the hide today. New field to me, and what few birds I did see I missed like a one-eyed tart... But worth sitting there all day to suddenly be joined inside the hide by a pair of Long Tailed Tits. I had a camo jacket on and a shemagh on my head, so only just my eyes were showing. Little fellas were completely oblivious that I was there and perched about 10 inches in front of my face. Hopped about for a minute or more, with me not moving a muscle. Incredible little pinky-grey balls of fluff, smaller than a ping pong ball, with beady little black eyes, and that comically long tail. Had the gun across my lap and thought one was going to hop onto the fore-end for a moment, but as he was staring me in the face, presumably thinking "what the **** kind of tree is this then?" , I had to blink, .... and they were gone.Magic moment I will almost certainly never experience again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I call long tailed tits 'helicopter birds' for obvious reasons. I usually hear them before I see them. The most I have seen in one lot was 37 which passed in front of my hide whilst shooting a field with stubble in it. That would be two or three families grouping together I imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Slow day in the hide today. New field to me, and what few birds I did see I missed like a one-eyed tart... But worth sitting there all day to suddenly be joined inside the hide by a pair of Long Tailed Tits. I had a camo jacket on and a shemagh on my head, so only just my eyes were showing. Little fellas were completely oblivious that I was there and perched about 10 inches in front of my face. Hopped about for a minute or more, with me not moving a muscle. Incredible little pinky-grey balls of fluff, smaller than a ping pong ball, with beady little black eyes, and that comically long tail. Had the gun across my lap and thought one was going to hop onto the fore-end for a moment, but as he was staring me in the face, presumably thinking "what the **** kind of tree is this then?" , I had to blink, .... and they were gone. Magic moment I will almost certainly never experience again. :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 If I remember correctly the so called long tailed tit ,is not a member of the tit family .It does however have the longest tail per body lentht of any British birds . Harnser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 If I remember correctly the so called long tailed tit ,is not a member of the tit family .It does however have the longest tail per body lentht of any British birds . Harnser. I think the long tail tit is a tit (paridae) but the bearded tit is a babbler (timaliidae) I bet this is going to be a massive talking point throughout the UK tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I think the long tail tit is a tit (paridae) but the bearded tit is a babbler (timaliidae) I bet this is going to be a massive talking point throughout the UK tonight The long tailed tit ,the european one appears to be a sub species closely related to the babblers . Harnser . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I think there is a slowly growing consensus to call the bearded tit a Bearded Reedling, probably so that bird books can finally start putting it where it should be, rather than where it looks like it belongs! the Collins guide reckons its closest relations are the larks. Either way, I've yet to see one, which is vexing! Spent last week staying in Titchwell, and spent a lot of time at the reserve. didn't see or even hear one for the whole time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonseed Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 It certainly isn't all about puling the trigger is it. I agree with you completely. I have a keen bird-watching friend who is dubious about shooting, but he hasn't witnessed bird events like Longchalk's experience with the long-tailed tits as he has no field craft--and thinks he has no need of it. He was complaining once about never having seen any kingfishers along a stretch of river. He was amazed when I told him there were two pairs I'd seen while fishing and flighting ducks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggysreels Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 And if you're ever fortunate enough to take out a few "mink" the chances are your friends odds of seeing a Kingfisher on the waterbanks will increase dramatically .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 The long tailed tit ,the european one appears to be a sub species closely related to the babblers . Harnser . interesting, thanks good to be informed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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