A Tufted Titmouse perches in falling snow, Blendon Woods Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio.
I tend to laugh when I’m taking a photo of a Tufted Titmouse. The large, round eyes, small bill and brushy crest give the bird a permanent “surprised” expression on its face.
Titmice are common in forests in Central Ohio and are frequent visitors to feeders in the area during winter months. The birds always select the largest seed they can find, carry it to a nearby perch and hit it with their bill until the seed cracks open. Titmice also hoard food during the fall and winter months. They’ll take seeds from a feeder, open them, then store the food in cracks and crevices in nearby trees so they can be retrieved later.
During the summer, a titmouse will eat primarily insects.
I found this Tufted Titmouse when I was photographing birds around a feeder on a snowy winter morning. I had noticed that titmice visiting the feeder tended to follow a similar route when approaching the feeder, stopping on this or a neighboring limb until other birds left the feeder, then swooping in for a seed. So I focused on the limb and waited for a bird to return. It only took about a minute. It landed in the right spot and stayed for a few seconds before hopping over to the feeder.
But it stayed long enough for me to get the shot.
When I see a titmouse during the fall or winter I know to expect to find chickadees and nuthatches nearby. The birds flock together during the winter months. And I’ve grabbed a number of winter photos of nuthatches and chickadees around the feeder where I found this titmouse.
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