Dunnock versus Great Tit

With its high-pitched call, the Dunnock, announced its arrival before I was able to see it. A Blue Tit had just left; probably impressed with the pair of Rooks on the rails of the high fence, although all my passerines are well used to the many Rooks, Jackdaws and Hooded Crows which feed in this garden also, and the Coal Tits used to take advantage of the Jackdaws; using them as a kind of avian shield to hide behind these when the Robins, House Sparrows or Great Tits whenever the small ones were feeding. The tiny Goldcrest, Ireland's smallest bird, too, used to do this, during last winter and spring when it came to feed here in the garden and grant us the view of this little beautiful bird . however I must admit that this little one was less assured in feeding with the black/grey birds.

Of all those which I mentioned above, the Robin, the Great Tit and also the House Sparrow, (and also the Greenfinch, which has not been feeding in my garden these past few years) are very territorial. This means in short that these will claim the feeding station as their own kingdom so to speak, and will defend it till the intruder leaves again, once he/she got the message that this patch is not for sale, and more importantly, the food in this patch is property of the territory King or Queen.
The Dunnock, Prunella modularis, is also called Hedge Sparrow due to its habbits of scurrying underneath hedges, shrubbery, trees and other places where shelter and protection are offered low to the ground. Here it will feed on Insects, Invertabrates and seeds.
The Great Tit, Parus major, on the other hand is a bold and aggressive Bird if it finds opposition in its path or on its patch.

In the garden, this morning, the Dunnock had already made its entrance, hung about here and there, out of sight, as it often does. It might scurry about on the ground (not a good idea with cats in the neighbourhood) or it might rest/hide in one of the plant pots, as here under the Fatsia, in the black rubbish bin: This Fatsia is located next to the Fennel planter which I use as birdtable. Often, birds like the Dunnock, the smaller of the Tits, as in Blue Tits and Coal Tits, and Wrens, sometimes seem to jump down, when in fact they just land in the Fatsia's planter; fooling not only me, but also the bird(s) they hid from.


As the Great Tit arrived, the Dunnock became hungry again, and wanted another bite before it would leave the garden again.





Great Tit, Parus major




Great Tit, Parus major. (foreground) Dunnock, Prunella modularis. (behind the Fennel stems in the background)







Did that Great Tit really leave? And is it me, plain, shy Dunnock, who is left with all the food here in front of my feet, of which I can take my fill before anyone else arrives? Unbelievable.
"Wow"! Wait till my mates here about this.

My Dunnock (or perhaps two different ones?) has shown its courage before when it stood up to a Robin. The Robin, Erithacus rubecula, which is a tremendous territorial species. More so than most Great Tits. Robins do not telorate another Robin on one's patch except when the order of the day has to do with breeding, when for a short few weeks the two adults court, and later breed. Then, after the annual moult, when birds shed their plumage for a whole new feather outfit. A new coat, and ready for winter, the Robn returns to their territorial mindset again, and, until spring they will fight each other once more.

Robin, Erithacus rubecula.


Also in the garden:
Blue Tit, Parus caelureus,


Female Chaffinch,


Rook, Corvus frugilega,



Scratchy