Crested tit photography in Switzerland

The bird

Crested tits stay in the same patch of forest all year and in pairs for life. In autumn they hide seeds and insects in bark crevices and lichen, and spend the winter retrieving them. They nest in rotten stumps and dead trunks, which is why old forest with standing dead wood matters to them.

They often travel with mixed flocks of coal tits, goldcrests and treecreepers, so listen for the group and look for the crest.

When to go

They can be photographed in any month, but the pictures come in winter. Snow simplifies the background, the birds are bolder, and the low sun lights the forest from the side. Late autumn, when the birds are busy storing food, is also good.

How to photograph them

Everything is fast. Use 1/1600 s or quicker, a small focus zone and short bursts. Choose a perch with a clean background first, then wait for the bird to use it; chasing a tit through the branches rarely works.

Snow-covered spruce makes a soft, pale backdrop. On a bright day add exposure compensation so the snow stays white and the bird’s black crest does not become a silhouette.

Without disturbing them

We photograph crested tits on their own feeding rounds and at natural perches, not with bait or playback. We stay on paths and keep clear of nest sites in spring.