Male Blackbird
Voss is a great place but the winters can be long and hard. On Tuesday it was minus 12, Wednesday it was snowing, Thursday it was foggy all day and today, Friday it is minus 8. So I have had enough, I am throwing in the towel and leaving for the farmlands, wetlands and salt-marshes of my second home, North West England.
The only place there seems to be any birdlife at the moment is at my feeding stations, and even then it is only members of the tit family, no finches or buntings. Don't get me wrong, I spend many a happy hour at my feeding stations, hoping something extra special will turn up or I get a good photo, or maybe both. At least there is movement and colour on a cold grey winters day. Here you can see three members of the tit family, Coal, Blue and Great all trying to get something to eat.
Of the three it is the small Blue Tit that is the most aggressive. You wouldn't think that this colourful little bird is the Mike Tyson of the feeding station, but woe any other species that ruffles his feathers.
While the three above species are fighting over space on the food balls, the Willow Tit can often be seen feeding on the ground below. He seem only to venture onto the feeders when there is no competition from the other members of his family group.
Still he seems to do alright, maybe it is wise, after all, he doesn't use any energy fighting off other birds for a place on the food balls. Hopefully, when I return to Voss the snow that the Willow Tit is feeding on will have melted and there will be other signs of spring. In the meantime have a great winter, I know I will.
