"Tiny, drab birds with light ticking and lisping callnotes, Bushtits are common in woods and mountains of the west, but they are often inconspicuous. A flock feeding in a tree may go almost unnoticed until the birds fly out, perhaps twenty or thirty of them, in a straggling single file to the next tree. They are very sociable at most seasons, and groups will roost huddled close together in a tight mass on cold nights."
earth fact time. this is the white-browed tit-warbler and he is fucking gorgeous. they're found in central asia, central china and along the himalayas, and IUCN red list category is (thankfully) least concern.
We hold several books illustrated by the noted American wildlife painter and book illustrator Francis Lee Jaques (1887-1969). He and his wife, nature and travel writer Florence Page Jaques (1890-1972), were avid outdoors and wildlife enthusiasts, and Francis illustrated several of Florence's published travel memoirs. As Far as the Yukon, published by Harper Brothers in 1951, is one of their later joint publications. The book recounts a journey taken by the Jaques along the west coast, much of it by train, from southern California to the Yukon. Florence Jaques makes keen observations about the birds she encountered for which Francis Jaques provided lively illustrations. Click on the images to see the bird species captions.
View other works illustrated by Francis Lee Jaques.
The view from my “office” window yesterday. #bushtits #whitebreastednuthatch #ladderbackwoodpecker #housefinches https://www.instagram.com/p/CqWAi5FvjjS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
I picked bushtit for her because they are the tiniest predators, garrulous, love socializing, and are go-getters who love swarming suet or peanut feeders. They're always busy chatting to each other!
'tit' comes from 'titr' which means 'small', so 'bushtit' basically means 'small thing in the bush', which is pretty accurate from what I've seen of our flock. I always hear their tiny voices when I pass by trees and bushes, and if I look closely I see them flitting around.