Where is he that giddy Sprite,
Blue-cap, with his colors bright,
Who was blest as bird could be,
Feeding in the apple-tree;
Made such wanton spoil and rout,
Turning blossoms inside out;
Hung---head pointing towards the ground---
Fluttered, perched, into a round
Bound himself, and then unbound;
Lithest, gaudiest Harlequin!
Prettiest Tumbler ever seen!
Light of heart and light of limb;
What is now become of Him?
-William Wordsworth
The blue tit is a much loved bird in English gardens. They are agile and often hang upside down in trees or flower beds looking for insects or other invertebrates. They wear an azure blue cap and blue wings, green back and a striking yellow belly. The yellow belly comes from the carotene pigment which it gets from its diet of caterpillars. With its spirited attitude, pretty plumage and acrobatic behaviour it is no surprise that many people enjoy watching it and are keen to invite it into their gardens and this behaviour has best been penned by William Wordsworth in his poem "The Kitten And Falling Leaves".
Britons love their bird nicknames."Billy Biter", "Nun"(the white headband similar to one worn by nuns), "Blue Bonnet", "Tom Tit" being among a few endearing names that describe it best.
Eurasian blue tit
(Cyanistes caeruleus)
Sony A77ii
Tamron 150-600
f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO2000, 500mm
Stamford, (UK)
Dec - 2020