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Mugged by a Tit

RaM

RaM

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Mar 12, 2015
Messages
3,804
Location
NW UK
Sat in the car with a brew and bacon bun when a Blue Tit lands on the door mirror,
wind down the window and it does not even flinch offer a lump of bap near as big
as the bird it's self and it takes it from my fingers and fly's off,
never in my 60 odd years have I been so close to a Blue Tit other types yes but never
had one of those within yards.
 
When I walked my dogs in woods I knew several people who'd trained blue tits to perch on their fingers and take food from their hands. Tits are bold birds.
 
Yes, I remember the damage they did to foil milk bottle tops. These days I'm content to watch tits bouncing around outside, which according to a recent news report is very good for your mental health.
 
I tittered at this mug, does it count?

AFTER%20THIS%20COFFEE-250x250.jpg
 
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Almost got mugged by a squirrel once. Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, I think it was. Fed it some nuts, walked away, looked behind, there it was. Walked on, looked behind, it's bounding along, determined to nibble on my nuts...

Squirrels are cheeky sods.
 
It seems as others have had them take food that it's not that unusual but
I have never come across it before nice thing to happen though.
 
Been attacked by pheasants during breeding season on my old Scott Mountain bike. They'd have a go due to the blue and red colours on the bike.

Also when in New Zealand I've been attacked, (dive-bombed), by Magpies again during breeding season.
 
Our cat was chased back into the house by a blackbird a couple of months back. My theory was that some windfall apples on top of the hedge had naturally fermented and the blackbirds, who were always eating them, had got slightly tipsy.

I saw this happen one year with plums that had been left to rot. Butterflies were sucking the juices from them and wouldn't fly away went you went near. They were really drowsy and would perch on my finger.
 
Tribble said:
Almost got mugged by a squirrel once. Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, I think it was. Fed it some nuts, walked away, looked behind, there it was. Walked on, looked behind, it's bounding along, determined to nibble on my nuts...

Squirrels are cheeky sods.
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Could I ask -- grey, or red? (I gather that Scotland still has a quite goodly number of the latter kind.) I'd imagine your would-be mugger was more likely a grey squirrel -- the red ones are usually on the timid side...
 
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Many many moons ago my Granddad was attacked by a owl,
wile on his push bike came home with all the back of his
neck ripped open.
 
Coal said:
Chaffinches are far bolder in my experience.
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I haven't seen a chaffinch around here in ages. Used to be plenty, greenfinches, goldfinches and bullfinches too. Lovely looking things.
 
I was attacked by a blackbird. I was walking down a path when I saw two male blackbirds having a punch up (it was the breeding season). One eventually gave up and flew off, then the winner turned his attention to me!

Little bugger hopped over and started having a right go at my boot. After a while he realised I was much bigger than he was and flew away.

But he didn’t give up. He followed me all the way down the path flying from one fence post to the next hurling blackbird abuse at me.

On a friendlier note, I know someone who likes to have a cup of tea and a biccie in his garden in the mornings and he’s now joined by a robin, which sits on his knee and enjoys his share of the biscuit. If my friend isn’t out in time, the robin will peck on the kitchen window to remind him of their appointment.
 
amyasleigh said:
Could I ask -- grey, or red? (I gather that Scotland still has a quite goodly number of the latter kind.) I'd imagine your would-be mugger was more likely a grey squirrel -- the red ones are usually on the timid side...
Click to expand...

Indeed a grey. Don't think I've ever seen an urban red squirrel.

Bigphoot2 said:
I was attacked by a blackbird. I was walking down a path when I saw two male blackbirds having a punch up (it was the breeding season). One eventually gave up and flew off, then the winner turned his attention to me!
Click to expand...

Shouldn't have been eyeing up his bird. ;)
 
Bigphoot2 said:
On a friendlier note, I know someone who likes to have a cup of tea and a biccie in his garden in the mornings and he’s now joined by a robin, which sits on his knee and enjoys his share of the biscuit. If my friend isn’t out in time, the robin will peck on the kitchen window to remind him of their appointment.
Click to expand...
Yes, there are lots of stories about robins and their fearless behaviour. (I think we have a thread or two on it somewhere...)
 
davidplankton said:
Our cat was chased back into the house by a blackbird a couple of months back. My theory was that some windfall apples on top of the hedge had naturally fermented and the blackbirds, who were always eating them, had got slightly tipsy.

I saw this happen one year with plums that had been left to rot. Butterflies were sucking the juices from them and wouldn't fly away went you went near. They were really drowsy and would perch on my finger.
Click to expand...

My mother used to brew wine years ago, and once put some sultanas out for the birds when she'd finished with them. Of course they were all alcohol-soaked and the birds that ate them couldn't fly for toffee.
 
rynner2 said:
Yes, there are lots of stories about robins and their fearless behaviour. (I think we have a thread or two on it somewhere...)
Click to expand...

There's at least one about robins bringing messages from the Hereafter or summat. It's a popular folk belief.
 
escargot1 said:
My mother used to brew wine years ago, and once put some sultanas out for the birds when she'd finished with them. Of course they were all alcohol-soaked and the birds that ate them couldn't fly for toffee.
Click to expand...
My maternal grandfather used these, plus fish-hooks and line to remove a number of pheasants, while working as a freelance nocturnal game re-distribution operative.

escargot1 said:
There's at least one about robins bringing messages from the Hereafter or summat. It's a popular folk belief.
Click to expand...

The robin's 'protected status' dates back so many hundreds of years, I think they've just evolved to not fear people.
 
Tribble writes (post #20): "Indeed a grey. Don't think I've ever seen an urban red squirrel."

As I'd figured; but one does hear of red squirrels still, in some places hearteningly far south in Scotland. A relative of mine recalled seeing red squirrels at Balloch, at the southern end of Loch Lomond and pretty much in the suburbs of Glasgow -- but that was many decades ago.
 
Coal said:
My maternal grandfather used these, plus fish-hooks and line to remove a number of pheasants, while working as a freelance nocturnal game re-distribution operative.
Click to expand...

This is also seen on Roadl Dahl's Danny the champion of the World. The birds are out cold, drunk or drugged or whatever, and they come to unexpectedly and fly off en masse.
 
JamesWhitehead said:
I think they were famous, in the days of milk delivery, for their prowess at pecking through the milk-bottle caps and drinking the cream.

It must have cost the country at least twelve golden labrador guide-dogs! :rofl:
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In the days of milk delivery? Not only does my Mum have delivery, but they are recruiting. And she lives in the dull suburbs, not the hipster areas which are clamouring for the authenticity of gold top.
 
I used to do voluntary work on a residential holiday for kids in rural Aberdeenshire. One day we were in a forest and saw a gorgeous red squirrel sitting on a tree stump. The magic was shattered when one of the wilder kids shouted in a rough Glaswegian accent "Hey look! A wee ginger monkey!"
 
Bigphoot2 said:
I used to do voluntary work on a residential holiday for kids in rural Aberdeenshire. One day we were in a forest and saw a gorgeous red squirrel sitting on a tree stump. The magic was shattered when one of the wilder kids shouted in a rough Glaswegian accent "Hey look! A wee ginger monkey!"
Click to expand...

Reminds me of when I saw a little girl see a newt in the wild for the first time. 'It's a...it's a whaaaaale, whaaaaale'.
 
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