Hungry: The family of long-tailed tits wait patiently for their next meal at the Fairburn Ings, West YorkshireEleven hungry beaks to feed . . . no wonder their poor mother looks a little ruffled.
But these newborn long-tailed tits, lined up on a branch and clamouring for a snack, are among the lucky ones.
They have a nice home in an RSPB nature reserve at Fairburn Ings, West Yorkshire, where they won't be allowed to starve.
Other long-tailed tits have not been so lucky. The tiny birds have suffered in the long, harsh winter and numbers are down a quarter on last year.
They have dropped out of the top ten most common species in the charity's Big Garden Birdwatch.
An RSPB spokesman said: 'Long-tailed tits, like other small-bodied birds, are particularly susceptible to cold, having to eat almost continuously to stay alive.'
Mating season is still on, and as the birds can have up to 12 young at once, gardeners have been urged to help them cope by leaving seeds and peanuts in feeders and bird tables.
source :dailymail
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