Fat ball feeder visitors

I'm using a small, cheap camera on 25-30X optical zoom (Sony WX500) through window for most of these photos, so the fact I'm getting any clear ones at all is a minor miracle. Just handheld, too, no tripod...

Added a colour filter to the cloudy blue tit photo to make it look nicer.

Saw my little mouse friend in the garden today. He is all grown up now and looks rather rat-like!

some nice pictures here simonali. I love it when the long tailed tits drop in. They only stay for a few seconds but are a delight. They never touch any seed only eating suet.

On the blackcap topic there is some very interesting information about the winter ones that visit us from eastern europe. One is that the blackcaps were always summer visitors but due to the sheer number of bird feeders birds are coming off the continent to spend winter here and take advantage of the bounty. I get emails every so often from the BTO about their garden bird survey, which I partake in, and it was about blackcaps. They said more birds were staying in suburban gardens after the cold snap compared to previous seasons. It has sure been the case in my garden where a female blackcap has hung around for almost a month now despite the mild weather. Very interesting stuff. (sorry if you already know this :D)

I'm guessing this little fella (?) is a rat? Hopefully there isn't a whole horde of them. How far do you have to take one after humane trapping to ensure they don't come back, if it comes to that?

Thank you. I don't see them that often but, you're right, it's always on the suet balls when I do. Bit gutted the photo I got was focused on the feeder rather than the bird, as he looks to have a bit of suet in his beak and seems to be looking straight at me!

Back to Ratty; I kept finding my peanut feeder emptied overnight and left with the lid opened. I always presumed it was a rodent doing this?