What is - or WAS - this fledgeling?

[babybird]

I posted about this under 'Hello' when I joined and although someone tried hard to help, it is still a bit of a mystery.

The bird has white cheeks and a yellow chest. The head - I originally thought black but it has a blu-ish tinge - and a yellow tuft on the neck. The back and wings, which I originally thought 'black and white', the 'black' is a dark grey wiith blue tinge. The tail feathers are missing so I can't say an exact length, but what I have is less than three inches. It's beak is so tiny and hardly curved.

In the nesting box, the nest was from grasses, mini twig-ends and shreds of conifer.

Any ideas, anyone?

Many thanks

Viv

[Dave Appleton]

Great Tit perhaps? Can you attach a photo?

[babybird]

Originally Posted by Dave Appleton

Great Tit perhaps? Can you attach a photo?

I am sorry.........it was dead when I found it, and is now buried. So no photo.

[Dave Appleton]

Ah, ok, no probs - I thought from your original post that it was in your freezer! How does Great Tit sound?

[babybird]

Yes, I thought Great Tit although it didn't have a black line down the yellow chest, nor black stripes on the eyes like the Blue Tit. But it did have a yellow tuft where the back of head meets the neck and I have just seen a tufted one on You Tube. The dark feathers were partially turning to blue..........so an interesting mix!

Thank you for reply.

Viv

[RoyW__]

Blue Tit was my first thought on reading the initial description, certainly either Blue Tit or Great Tit I would think.

[devonsue]

I would have thought blue tit BUT with white cheeks it is not a fledgling as they have yellow cheeks.

[devonsue]

Just had another thought. Could it have been a fledgling coal tit?

[Little Sparrow]

I still can't get my head around the bird being a fledgling in January! I know the Winter was mild during December and most of January but surely Tits wouldn't be nesting that early!

[babybird]

No, I can't get my head round it either. I know our weather was unseasonally mild up to very recently, but still.....

Viv