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Home, Sweet Home (64)
Argus
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3808 W: 190 N: 11328]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (34927) | A male Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulus) is working on his half-built nest. When it is completed all the sides will be built up and the entrance will be near the top through a short tunnel.
Having spent the winter from the Mediterranean area, he arrived in Sweden about two weeks ago. This is a small bird, not much bigger than a wren.
The basic structure is made of grass stems. He is now lining it with the down from sallow catkins and bulrush hairs. His beak is needle sharp, enabling him to pick and carefully place material for this intricate hanging construction. He has to work fast so that he may even build one or two more and try to persuade a female to choose one of his constructions in which to lay her eggs.
He often calls with a thin ‘Tseee’ sound to mark his presence and sometimes pauses to break into a short little song, which both marks his territory and attracts a female.
This bird is not a Tit at all, but belongs to a separate family. It is not uncommon in certain parts of C. and E. Europe. It is sparsely distributed in S. Sweden where there is water, reed-beds sallow and birch. It seems to prefer the tips of hanging birch branches, presumably because they provide a good hold for the nest.
Ulla and I visited a nature reserve and we first heard the calls of the Penduline Tit before finding its nest. Just as we began to try to take pictures it began to get windy and the nest was swaying a lot, which meant many attempts to get a reasonable shot among all the leaves and branches. I should have increased the shutterspeed, but one forgets things when concentrating on getting the subject.
This was taken with the camera hand-held at a distance of about 8 meters. After moderate cropping and size reduction the image was selectively sharpened.
I tried to take a shot of the bird when not building his nest and failed to get a good POV but the WORKSHOP shows my best attempt and it shows the sharp little beak. |
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