Throughout a stressful week that began with a tumultuous election and ended with nearby wildfires, Tufted Titmice were pulling off a methodical food relay operation in a small area between the basketball courts and the forest of Inwood Hill Park.
The Tufted Titmouse food operation was simple and brilliant. These little athletic birds like to forage for the biggest seeds and nuts they can find and then hide them in secret crevices for later. This past week, they found their biggest opportunity after park workers used leaf blowers to clear the courts for play. The workers blew the leaves and nuts into piles in the corners of the court thus setting up a seed and nut buffet for the birds.
I watched the titmice over several days flying into the leaf piles, extracting one seed or nut at a time and then quickly disappearing into the woods across the park path. Their busy back-and-forth operation did not go undetected by others. Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, and White-breasted Nuthatches often got into the action.
Acorns have been plentiful this year. Also, sunflower seeds are nearby in the small beds maintained by park volunteers.
With so many seeds and nuts in play, the park squirrels quickly discovered the titmice stashes. In turn, the squirrels captured the attention of Blue Jays eager for the nuts. A young Red-tailed Hawk saw the squirrels and dove into this merry mix. I, too, located the primary stash. It was in a nearby tree with a large fallen dying branch.
I walked over to the park on Saturday afternoon when the smoke from the wildfires was thick and unhealthy, and the titmice operation was still going strong.
It’s exciting to observe Tufted Titmouse behaviors in action. When they weren’t hiding the seeds, they carried them over to the stone stairs nearby and used the hard surfaces for cracking. They worked in pairs.
Image: Study of a Tufted Titmouse by author. Mixed media in sketchbook. November 10, 2024.
If you want to observe the titmice and some of its team players like the chickadees, I recommend a stroll over to the path between the W. 207th Street steps and the Veterans’ Flagpole. Listen for them. They whistle while they work.
Cover: Tufted Titmouse at a food stash in the nearby woods. Inwood Hill Park. November 7, 2024. 7:20 a.m.
November sightings
The November 2024 sightings page is filled with Red-tailed Hawks, the winter birds, and many woodpeckers.
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