The Secret Life Inside the Old Apple Tree

A spring story from my garden in Kurtovo Конаре

Back in early March, while sitting in my lounge with a coffee, I kept noticing a Great Tit perched on the chimney of my outhouse. Every morning it returned to the same spot hopping, peering down, tilting its head as if it was trying to work out whether the chimney itself might make a good home. It did this for nearly three weeks. I couldn’t quite understand the behaviour, but it was so persistent that it stayed in the back of my mind.

And then, suddenly, it stopped. No more chimney visits. No more curious little bird puzzling over the brickwork. Life moved on, as it does.

A few days later, I was busy cutting down an old diseased mulberry tree at the back of the garden. It was a big job, and by the time I finished, I had planned to take down the old apple tree near the house as well. That apple tree hasn’t produced edible fruit in years, and I’d assumed it was on its way out too. But time slipped away, and the apple tree stayed standing.

One early morning around 6:30, I was sitting on the terrace with another coffee when something caught my eye, a bird darting in and out of the apple tree. At first I thought it was just passing through, but then it landed, walked along a branch, and disappeared. Completely gone.

Curiosity won. I walked down to the tree, it’s only about six metres from the house and started looking closely. That’s when I saw it: a small, perfectly round hole in the trunk, about a metre above the ground, hidden behind a dead branch roughly 12 cm thick.

And just like that, the mystery solved itself.

A pair of Great Tits (Parus major) had made their nest inside the old apple tree.

Suddenly everything made sense the chimney visits, the disappearance, the timing. They had been scouting for a home, and while I was busy cutting down the mulberry tree, they quietly moved into the apple tree right under my nose.

I set up one of my trail cameras, and what it captured over the next days was incredible. Both birds visited regularly, slipping in and out of the hole with food, bedding, and tiny white droppings, the classic faecal sacs that Great Tits remove to keep the nest clean and avoid attracting predators. They worked with such rhythm and purpose, each taking turns, each knowing exactly what to do.

This 6 minute video is a small window into their daily routine, a glimpse of the quiet, determined life happening in the old apple tree I almost cut down.

Sometimes nature chooses for us.
Sometimes the things we think are “finished” still have one more purpose left.
And sometimes, all it takes to notice is a cup of coffee and a moment of stillness.

About the Great Tit (Parus major)

The Great Tit is one of Bulgaria’s most familiar garden birds bold, clever, and perfectly adapted to village life. With its black head, white cheeks, and bright yellow belly, it’s easy to spot, but even easier to hear: this species has more than 40 different calls and songs.

Great Tits are cavity nesters, choosing old fruit trees, wall holes, nest boxes, and sometimes even chimneys. They raise their chicks with incredible dedication, bringing hundreds of insects each day and removing every tiny faecal sac to keep the nest clean and hidden from predators.

They’re year round residents in Bulgaria, thriving in orchards, gardens, and the edges of farmland. If you have an old apple tree, chances are you’re sharing your space with a Great Tit family, a small, determined piece of wild life right outside the window.

Great Tit (Parus major), Bulgaria’s Most Common Garden Nester

How This Species Fits Into the Bird World

• Family: Paridae

• Genus: Parus

• Species: Parus major

• Common name (BG): Голям синигер

Where You Can Find Great Tits Across Bulgaria

Great Tits are widespread across the entire country, including:

• Plovdiv region

• Rural villages like Kurtovo Конаре

• Orchards, gardens, old fruit trees

• Forest edges, parks, and farmland

They are year round residents, they do not migrate.

How to Recognise a Great Tit

Great Tits are the largest tit species in Bulgaria.

Key features:

• Black head and throat

• Bright white cheeks

• Yellow belly with a bold black stripe

• Greenish back

• Blue grey wings

• Strong, confident posture

Males

• Broader, darker black belly stripe

• Slightly brighter yellow

Females

• Narrower belly stripe

• Slightly duller colours

Juveniles

• More olive green

• Softer, washed out yellow

• Fluffier appearance

Their Songs, Calls & Everyday Voices

The Great Tit’s 40+ Distinct Sounds, A Detailed Breakdown

Great Tits (Parus major) are one of the most vocal small birds in Europe. Researchers have documented at least 40 different call types, and many more subtle variations. Their vocal system is so flexible that some scientists compare them to “tiny feathered improvisers.”

Below is a structured overview of the main categories.

1. The Classic Song (“Teacher teacher!”)

Purpose: Territory + attracting a mate
Sound: Two clear notes repeated over and over
Meaning:

• “This is my territory.”

• “I’m healthy and strong.”

Males can switch between 20+ song types depending on mood, competition, and environment.

2. Contact Calls

Purpose: Staying in touch with partner or flock
Sound: Soft “tsip… tsip… tsip…”
Meaning:

• “Where are you?”

• “I’m here.”

• “All good.”

Pairs use these constantly during nesting.

3. Alarm Calls (High Urgency)

Purpose: Warning about predators
Sound: Sharp, fast “tsi tsi tsi tsi tsi!”
Meaning:

• “Danger close!”

• “Hawk overhead!”

These calls become faster and higher pitched when the threat is more serious.

4. Mobbing Calls (Group Defence)

Purpose: Calling other birds to help chase a predator
Sound: Harsh “churr churr churr!”
Meaning:

• “Come help me chase this owl/cat!”

Great Tits will mob owls, cats, snakes, and even humans if they get too close to the nest.

5. Begging Calls (Chicks)

Purpose: Asking for food
Sound: Rapid, high pitched “tsee tsee tsee tsee!”
Meaning:

• “Feed me!”

• “I’m hungry!”

Parents respond instantly, this is what you’ll hear inside your apple tree right now.

6. Courtship Calls

Purpose: Pair bonding
Sound: Soft, sweet whistles
Meaning:

• “Stay close.”

• “I’m your partner.”

These are subtle and often missed by casual observers.

7. Scolding Calls

Purpose: Annoyance or low level threat
Sound: Buzzing “dzzrrt… dzzrrt…”
Meaning:

• “Back off.”

• “I see you.”

Used when a predator is near but not attacking.

8. Feeding Calls (Parents to Chicks)

Purpose: Communication inside the nest
Sound: Quiet clicks and chirps
Meaning:

• “I’m here with food.”

• “Open your beaks.”

These are rarely heard unless you have a camera or microphone inside the cavity.

9. Flock Calls (Winter)

Purpose: Staying together in mixed flocks
Sound: Varied chirps, whistles, and clicks
Meaning:

• “Follow me.”

• “Food here.”

• “Move this way.”

Great Tits often join Blue Tits, Nuthatches, and Treecreepers in winter flocks.

Why They Have So Many Sounds

Great Tits evolved a large vocal repertoire because they live in:

• Dense vegetation (sound needs to travel around obstacles)

• Complex social groups

• High predator environments

• Human modified landscapes (noise forces them to adapt)

They even change their pitch in noisy cities, a rare ability in birds.

What You’re Likely Hearing in Your Garden

Based on my nesting pair, you’ll hear:

• Contact calls between the parents

• Alarm calls when you approach the tree

• Feeding calls at the nest entrance

• Chick begging calls (soon, if not already)

• Short songs from the male nearby

Their Favourite Foods Through the Seasons

Great Tits are omnivores and highly adaptable.

Spring & Summer:

• Caterpillars (their favourite)

• Spiders

• Beetles

• Insects from bark and leaves

Autumn & Winter:

• Seeds

• Nuts

• Fruit

• Human-provided food (fat balls, sunflower seeds)

They are strong, clever foragers and will even hammer food against branches to break it open.

How Great Tits Raise Their Young

This is where your story fits perfectly.

Breeding season:

• Late March to June in Bulgaria

Nest sites:

• Natural tree cavities

• Old apple trees

• Holes in walls

• Nest boxes

• Occasionally chimneys

Clutch size:

• 6–12 eggs

Incubation:

• 13–15 days (female only)

Feeding chicks:

• Both parents

• Up to 500 caterpillars per day

• Removal of faecal sacs (exactly what you observed)

Fledging:

• 16–22 days after hatching

Great Tits often raise two broods per year if food is abundant.

Their Daily Habits and Surprising Intelligence

Great Tits are known for:

• Problem solving

• Tool use in rare cases

• Learning from each other

• Curiosity around human structures

• Strong territorial behaviour in spring

My chimney scouting bird was doing exactly this evaluating potential nest cavities.

How the Great Tit Is Doing in the Wild

The Great Tit is one of Europe’s true success stories. According to the IUCN, the species is listed as Least Concern, with a large and stable population across the continent. These birds adapt remarkably well to human‑shaped landscapes, gardens, orchards, parks, old farm buildings, and especially ageing fruit trees.

They do face challenges:

• loss of old trees and natural cavities

• pesticides reducing insect numbers

• shrinking wild habitats

But despite these pressures, Great Tits continue to thrive wherever people leave a bit of space for nature.

Mu old apple tree is exactly the kind of place they depend on, a small, quiet refuge that becomes a whole world for a nesting pair each spring.

Why They Chose My Apple Tree

Everything about tree is ideal:

• Soft, ageing wood

• Natural cavity

• Low height (1 m is common)

• Close to insects

• Close to cover

• Safe from predators

• Near your house (tits love human proximity)

I unknowingly preserved a perfect nesting site.

What Great Tits Love to Eat

Great Tits are true omnivores, and their ability to switch diets with the seasons is one of the reasons they thrive in so many places, including old orchards like mine.

Spring & Summer: The Insect Season

When chicks need protein, adults focus almost entirely on soft‑bodied prey:

• caterpillars (their absolute favourite)

• spiders

• beetles

• insects picked from bark, leaves, and branches

This is the time of year when they work nonstop, gathering hundreds of insects a day for their growing brood.

Autumn & Winter: The Seed Season

As insects disappear, their menu shifts to:

• seeds

• nuts

• fruit

• human‑provided food like fat balls and sunflower seeds

They become bold, clever foragers and will even hammer tough food against a branch to break it open.

Great Tits are survivors because they’re adaptable, opportunistic, and endlessly inventive when it comes to finding a meal.

Other Tit Species in Bulgaria (for comparison)

1. Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) — Син синигер

• Blue cap

• Yellow belly

• White face with blue eye stripe

• Smaller and more acrobatic

• Also nests in cavities

• Common in gardens

2. Coal Tit (Periparus ater) — Черноглав синигер

• Smaller

• Black head with white nape patch

• Prefers conifers

3. Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) — Блатен синигер

• Brownish

• Black cap

• Prefers damp woodland

4. Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) — Чубат синигер

• Distinctive crest

• Lives in pine forests

5. Long tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) — Опашат синигер

• Not a cavity nester

• Builds ball shaped nests

• Very social

Only Great Tits and Blue Tits regularly nest in old fruit trees in villages like mine.

The birds nesting in my apple tree are almost certainly Great Tits, one of Bulgaria’s most intelligent, adaptable, and charismatic garden birds. Their behaviour, chimney scouting, cavity nesting, faecal sac removal, constant feeding, matches the species perfectly.

My garden has become part of their spring story.

Let Hedgie Wilder Help Your Garden Become a Wildlife Haven

Watching this Great Tit family reminds me how important healthy trees, tidy spaces, and thoughtful planting really are. If you’d like your own garden to support more wildlife or simply look its best you can find all my services on the Garden Magic page. From lawn care to planting and seasonal clean‑ups, it’s all there.