This last few weeks there has been little tapping noises going on all over the house.
The 'culprit' was my resident Blue Tit, aggrieved to find a rival Blue Tit right in the heart of his territory. Everywhere my Blue Tit went around the house, it would find its competitor popping up. Each time my Blue Tit went on the attack, the other would fight back.
Yes, the curse of reflections had struck, something that evolution hasn't prepared most creatures for. Unwitting male birds find their posturing is matched by their opponent who seems equally matched and unwilling to back down. It's so confusing!
So when I heard the tap-tap-tap last week, I thought Mr Blue Tit was up to it again. But no, it was this little fella getting annoyed:
If you haven't worked out who it is, perhaps if I show a flight shot you'll get a better idea of who it was:
Yes, a Long-tailed Tit; check out those wonderfully pinky shoulders.
Of course, the issue of reflections is only a small part of nature's window problems. The biggie is the number of deaths as birds fly into them - so-called bird-strikes. These photos were making me think that I ought to wash my windows, but on second thoughts, until I get my bird of prey silhouettes up, I'll leave them be!
Birds saved; time saved - perfect!
If you want to drop by my RSPB wildlife gardening blog, it is updated every Friday, and I'd love to see you there - www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/hfw
Hi Pat
Thanks for sharing that. He must have been exhausted! For thousands of years, birds must have entered these 'conflict' situations but pretty soon the stronger would have won and the weaker disappeared with his tail between his legs. How strange therefore these window and mirror encounters must be where the 'two' combatants remains even matched for ever!