Avian eating habits

It's always exciting when a non-sparrow comes to eat in my garden. Bluetits, great tits and longtailed tits, chaffinches, goldfinches, blackbirds and starlings all pass by fairly regularly, and I still have my (hopefully) resident robin and wren, but it's the sparrows that come in the greatest numbers and most frequently.
At this time of year the fat balls are probably the most popular food on offer, but as those nylon nets they come in seem to me to be nothing but claw traps I have a special container for them. It's about the same size and shape as the traditional peanut feeder, but made of a much larger mesh - big enough for the sparrows to get their whole heads through. It also makes the fat balls accessible to larger birds such as starlings, which love them, especially as I have modified the original feeder by fixing a substantial twig across the bottom for birds to perch on.
Sparrows attack with gusto, frequently dropping bits, concerned to get in first and eat as much as possible as fast as possible. And three or four starlings in a concerted feeding frenzy can (and do) demolish a whole new fat ball in just over an hour. The feeding behaviour of this afternoon's new visitor appeared very strange by comparison.
A blackcap. A beautiful slim bird in shades of grey, almost blue on the breast, with a neat black crown, the first I've seen in my garden. Perching on the fat ball feeder, quietly enjoying a snack.
So what was strange about that? As it was feeding, every so often a crumb would fall onto the hebe about four or five inches below. And the blackcap would swing upside down on the perch, stretch out and very delicately retrieve it. The most elegant, fastidious eater it has been my privilege to watch from my kitchen window. I just hope it returns and that the sparrows learn some manners by example!