Year Round Guests

Tufted Titmouse - Fall 2012

We had heavy precipitation over night; seven inches of wet snow covering the drive and sidewalks. By the time I finished clearing the path to the bird feeders, it was deep into mid-morning. I refilled the bowls and tubes then went inside for breakfast.

There wasn’t much activity this morning; like me the squirrels and birds decided to stay inside until the last possible moment. That changed shortly after I finished my yard work when a crow found his way to the ground feeder. Shortly afterwards a red-bellied woodpecker swooped down from the trees, grabbing a sunflower seed and returned to the safety of the pines. Then the tufted titmice appeared; one after another, pausing momentarily at the tube feeders returning to the overhead branches to eat their seeds.

 Tufted titmice are a common sight at my feeders year round. Their soft gray feathers and large eyes are in strong contrast to their fellow Paridae (PAY-rih-dee) family member: the black capped chickadee. Tolerant of the cold, they remain here in Michigan during the winter months, feeding on the suet cakes and the rich sunflower and Niger seeds that I put out for them.

During the summer months, the tufted titmouse’s diet expands to include insects such as beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers and ants in addition to the seeds left by neighborhood bird lovers. Their nests are found primarily in natural tree cavities although they will dig out nests in rotten wood. Inside the cavity, the female titmouse will creates a soft bed of moss, leaves, and wools and has been known to pluck hair from live animals such as woodchucks, squirrels and opossums. She prepares the nest in anticipation of her eggs that will come sometime between March and May.

As I write, the last of the titmice have finished their breakfast and disappeared into the trees. With their departure, the squirrels have finally emerged from their nest, taking the titmice’s place at the feeders. The daily routine has returned once again.