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is this tit stressed by my garden mirror

berardeberarde Posts: 147
in Problem solving
I have a garden mirror with shutters, during the last 3 days a tit has been at the mirror for a lot of the day. He sometimes taps on the mirror and is always active hopping in the stems around it, fluttering up and down it. there is another tit usually nearby so I can't be sure that it is always the one and not the other. When tits nest in my neighbours bird box  tits taps around the entrance hole and I read that this is a mating gesture. At first I thought he was angry with the reflection so put the shutters across but as there was a gap he was getting inside. I have fully shut the shutters fully but for the last day he has been fluttering around in the same way. I'm not sure whether the mirror is stressing him when open, or he is now frustrated that he can't get to the mirror.
I'm not sure whether to be amused or upset
Thanks
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Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    At this time of year some birds are looking for mates.
    It's likely the blue tit sees his reflection and thinks it's a rival and is trying to scare him off.
    I'd suggest keeping the mirror completely covered

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    I agree with @Pete.8.  I have never been a fan of mirrors in gardens for this reason.  It's bad enough when you hear a thud as a blackbird flies into a window.
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree ... he's trying to drive what he sees as a rival away from his territory.  This is particularly bad for him at this time of year as he's burning up energy he needs to keep warm, just at the time when he needs to be spending all his time either feeding or huddling up to keep warm. .  I would remove the mirror.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    Yes thought this was stress but the fact that tapping the entry holes in nest boxes is a mating come-on I thought it might upset him/her if I removed it.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    No ... that's a different behaviour. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Catching up on this thread - I glanced out of the window at my tit box on the pergola just now and saw a blue tit coming out :)
    There are several now checking it out  :)

    I only cleaned it out a couple of days ago - and was a bit upset to find a fledgling that didn't make it :(

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Another vote for garden mirror removal
    Devon.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    And another one here - really not worth the damage they can cause. 
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    However...we have blue and great tits that often tap on the kitchen window (facing NW) and also on the front windows (facing S).
    There aren't any mirrors but the birds can see something that they think they want to attract or attact.
    Or they are looking for the spiders that are hiding in the alcoves.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    My back porch door has glass panels top and bottom. Our old gander used to stand on the doorstep and peck his rival in the window. Kept him amused when Mrs G was sitting. He died in 2020 and she is now alone, as her eggs were not fertilised. Though she is fairly content now, with the ducks and free run of the garden, she sits on the doorstep to preen, or rest, or for the goosey company of her reflection and the extra helpings of seed it sometimes gets her, if she pecks on the glass.
    One day I heard some rather imperious pecking and when I peeked there was a cock pheasant on the doorstep. He came back again a day later and this time he perched on the windowsill and was watching me as I sat at the computer!
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