How do I get more interesting tits?

[Shannith]

I have peanuts and seeds and I even made some home made fat balls but I only seem to get blue tits.

I'm in Surrey, semi rural, surely there are better tits out there.

Or finches.

I have had some sparrows.

"Great tits like cocoanuts"

But they are just big blue tits :)

I want long tailed tits and coal tits and just a better all round standard of tit.

Rory McGrath, bearded tit?

We've got blue tits, great tits , long tail tits and i think some occasional coal tits. We have always had them long before i had a bird feeder. I think its because we have lots of trees in out garden and they really seem to like the scotch pines. The long tail tits really like the squares in this type of feeder
I only have a small garden but the estate was built on the garden of a big house and still has all the original trees.

I have coal tits in my garden, they arrived about the same time my current bushes started to flower. Not sure if there is a connection though ...

That should, of course, be currAnt bushes. They aren't electrified or anything, I suspect that would put birds off.

That should, of course, be currAnt bushes. They aren't electrified or anything, I suspect that would put birds off.

I assumed 'current bushes' just meant that you were really fickle about your shrubbery.

OP, have a google for local bird groups. I'm sure they'll have a website where they have photos of tits they have seen locally. Then you'll know whether you're likely to see any more unusual tits.

I really struggled typing that.

Finches like Niger seeds, you need a special feeder to put them in. We get goldfinches.

I've got sunflower hearts in a seed feeder, and that attracts nuthatches which are very lovely.

Thanks! great ideas. I know we have nuthatches, woodpeckers and lots of more umm interesting tits around as I see them in the woods.

I have about 7 million sunflower seeds so will remember to keep the hearts for next year.

:) at electrified bushes and local tits. No way to type that without smirking.

I have a wood pecker that comes everyday and some indian ring necked parrots
I would love to see a nut hatch and the last time i saw wild finches was at my nans back in the 70s

We've got loads of different types of bird in our rather large garden. They seem to thrive on the various berried plants we have (elderberries, honeysuckle, rowen, cotoneaster, blackcurrants , redcurrants, hawthorn, ivy, roses, firethorn, raspberries, holly) along with leaving some of the fallen apples, we have lots of trees and large bushes. All seem to encourage masses of birds large & small.

Last year for just a few days Feb/March we had ten or so long tailed tits on feeders, this year only around six or so. They go around in 'gangs' then dash off somewhere else, and have a lovely 'bouncing' flight.

Kibbled sunflower hearts used to be the most productive in attracting a variety of birds. Yes, goldfinches are lovely, and increasingly common I understand. They will take the kibbled seed, but nyjer is best. NOTE: nyjer needs a feeder with smaller openings, but if the seed gets damp it doesn't drop down. For months I thought birds weren't taking any, when in fact they couldn't reach the seed! So keep an eye on the feeder, and give a hefty TAP to dislodge seeds.

I use the CJ Wildlife feeders, as birds face forwards (so don't have to screw their necks round!) but they are more expensive.

Ah!
That's what happen to my nyger seed.
I wasted all this time swearing at it before when I should have whacked it!