Deux mésanges

Five or six species of birds are the most frequent feeders around La Renaudière. There are European robins [rouges-gorges], chaffinches [pinsons des arbres], blackbirds [merles], European jays [geais], nuthatches [sittelles], and tits [mésanges].

There are several types of tit birds, but the two most common here seem to be great tits [mésanges charbonnières] and blue tits [mésanges bleues]. I'm learning how to tell them apart.

You can see the differences in color above.
The great tit (called charbonnière, coal-colored,
in French) is black. The bird on the right is definitely blue.
It also has an eye-stripe that the great tit doesn't have.

Here's a second view. The great tit is clearer here. It has a black cap,
without the eye-stripe. The blue tit's head is blue (quelle surprise !).

So this is a blue tit, judging by the eye-stripe.
The blue color is just barely visible.

Other birds we see a lot of are wood pigeons, green woodpeckers, spotted woodpeckers, treecreepers, and other finches including goldfinches. I've also seen rarer birds, like a kingfisher [martin pêcheur] and a hoopoe [huppe fasciée]. Plus pheasants and ducks, bien sûr.