Breakfast Guests.



145



To return to the window-sill. On the first morning, when

I put out the nuts and waited to see what would happen, the Great

Tit appeared on an ilex tree opposite and looked and called “Weetle !

weetle !’ There lay the ground-nuts and nobody in sight. But it

might be a trap set by the Human Giant, whose hand he saw place

them there. But oh! those ground-nuts ! After a bit, he made a dart,

towards the window-sill, seized one, and whisked off with it into the

ilex, where he fixed it into the fork of a branch and began to hammer.

More nuts lay on the sill, and after a few minntes spent in devouring

the first nut, he again ventured, repeating the same performance.

Again and again he came, flying away across the garden with some,,

to, I presume, a winter storehouse, but he managed to eat several.

After a week, he came regularly at 6.30 for his breakfast, and brought

his mate, who is more shy, ringing his little bell of two or three-

consecutive notes, in reality untranslatable into human language,,

but which I can only render by the words “Pingle ! Pingle! ” I have

noticed that he has three call-notes : “Weetle ! weetle ! ” “ Weetle !'

weetle! wee!” And if he wants anything, “Pingle! Pingle!”

These sounds are of course very roughly translated. Sometimes

the “ Weetle ! Weetle ! ” changes to “ Weet! Weet!” The clearness

of sound I could only liken to a tiny bell. If his breakfast was not

there, he fluttered before the window and called for it but he never

calls when on the wing. Needless to say his summons was at once

obeyed ! If hazel nuts are cracked for him, a Kobin purloins them.

Now, after nearly a month, the Great Tit waits on the ilex tree-

regularly for the window to be opened, and even flies towards an

outstretched hand with a ground nut on it, but has not yet ventured

on to it. After hovering near it, he flies away again. I often wonder

at the boldness of a tiny bird. What an amount of courage is

required to approach a being whose ear, say, is about the size of

one’s whole person !


Day by day we advance further in our friendship with our

lovely little breakfast guest, but he never fails to come at a call or

whistle. If he sees no nuts in the original window, he flies to the

next, and hovers before it to attract attention, and so on to a third

window. He comes after me now in the verandah.



