One thing to know about me: I love most things British! Millenary trends, English gardens, etiquette, and of course, birds, to name a few. This weekend I flew to Washington D.C. to indulge in what is, perhaps, my favorite traditional British activity—high tea—while hosting a Bridal Shower honoring my dear, gorgeous, soon-to-be bride and best friend Ashley.
- Ashley’s Bridal Shower!
- High Tea with the girls…
- OBSESSED with this cupcakes – yum!
As I began to think about this week’s special bird the choice was obvious: the Blue Tit.
- Gorgeous!!!
Delicate, petite and wearing shades of periwinkle blue and Meyer lemon yellow, this beauty is not one to miss if you are in the U.K., especially since it is fairly common!
- Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
Common Name: Blue Tit
Latin Name: Cyanistes caeruleus
Range: Britain, except some regions in Scotland. Iberia and North Africa to Scandinavia, Russia, Turkey and Iran.
Habitat: Common in woodland, hedgerows, parks. and gardens.
Diet: Insects, seeds, and nuts.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
I would LOVE to see this stunner at my feeder!
I came across this poem by Francis Duggan online and thought I’d share. It never ceases to amaze me how early childhood birding memories often become among the most memorable and impressionable moments in one’s lifetime…
The Blue Tit’s Nest
Some childhood memories with us seem to linger
And I recall when I was nine or so
Of seeing blue tit fly from hole in standing tree stump
One April day more than forty years ago.
I stood on tip toes and tried to look inside the tree stump
But all seemed dark in there I needed light
I hurried back home for to fetch a flash lamp
And what I saw a memorable sight.
A little nest of moss and hay and lined with feathers
And nine pale eggs with freckles brown to red
Laid by the little bird with yellow unders
Blue wings and tail and tiny blue cap on head.
I marvelled at this wondrous sight of Nature
How one small bird so many eggs could lay
The memory all those years has remained with me
And I still can picture what I see today.
I still can picture forty five years later
Nine speckled eggs in nest of moss and hay
Some things from childhood always remain with us
And from the memory never fade away.
Here’s to the Bride and Groom! (Oh, and, of course, happy birding!)
Michelle
