Long-tailed tits have to be some of our most popular garden birds. They've got it all - they're cute, fluffy, sociable, make funny noises, they're quite tame and quite common. It's also easy to encourage them into your garden by offering treats like fat or cheese. What's not to like?
So, this weekend, why not look out for long-tailed tits getting down to work? At this time of year, they'll be busy, busy, busy. They have nests to build, and there's a lot to do.
Pairs work together to collect their building materials - feathers, moss, lichen, spiders' webs and hair - and assemble the parts. Each nest contains up to 1,500 feathers, so there's much to-ing and fro-ing to be done.
So if you spot a passing long-tailed tit, take a few minutes to watch what it's doing and where it's going - you might even be able to spot where the nest is.
In the photo above you can see a long-tailed tit sitting in its nest (perhaps pausing to admire its handiwork). But it's only halfway there - it still needs to put the roof on!
Long-tailed tit nests are almost spherical when complete. And because up to 15 eggs can be laid inside, the builders need to plan for a rapidly-expanding family. Using spiders' webs in the construction means the nest is a bit stretchy. Amazing!
Let me know if you spot any nests being built this weekend...