This week’s episode of Wild Isle showcased some of our amazing woodlands and the species that call them home. From ancient woodlands to lush forests, the UK’s trees are brilliant for biodiversity, but it’s a real balancing act to plant the right tree in the right place. Trees are just one of the ways we can capture carbon to help combat the Nature and Climate Emergency. At RSPB Fairburn Ings, we carefully manage our woodlands to create ideal habitats for one of our rarest bird species – willow tits.
Misty boardwalk through habitat at RSPB Fairburn Ings (Rosie Dutton, RSPB-Images.com)
What does the right tree in the right place look like in West Yorkshire?
Staff and volunteers at RSPB Fairburn Ings work tirelessly to provide a home for willow tits. These small birds are larger than a blue tit and smaller than a great tit, with a sooty-black cap extending from the back of the neck to a small, untidy black bib. They are mid-brown above, with whiter cheeks and pale buff-grey underpart, and can be difficult to tell apart from the Marsh Tit on sight, yet sound and location can often help people tell the two apart. Its recent population declines make it a Red List species. Although they’re hard to find, partly due to lack of suitable habitats, we’re lucky to have them in West Yorkshire.
Willow tit being handled (Credit: Jeff Wragg)
In some cases, the right tree in the right place might not be what you expect. Willow tits nest in dead, rotting wood, hammering away at the wood to make a hole - displaying all the ambition of a much larger woodpecker. Dead wood also supports hundreds of species of invertebrates, making it ideal for finding a meal without having to go far. When the team at Fairburn Ings cut back birch trees in the woodland, they sometimes stap the cuttings to other trees, making a suitable nest site for willow tits – the birds prefer upright trees to nest in, which can be hard to find. Another of our nature reserves, RSPB Old Moor in neighbouring South Yorkshire, also does this. Dead wood is much easier for them to nest in than healthy trees, which have harder bark that willow tits aren’t equipped to deal with.
What are the RSPB doing to help?
At RSPB Fairburn Ings, we have two main priorities: to create decaying wood for habitats and nest building; and to keep our native species healthy. Without a variety of native trees – both living and decaying – we wouldn’t be able to support so many species.
One such tree we preserve is oak, using a technique called ‘halo trimming’, which involves cutting a thin ring around an oak tree to give it a chance to mature. This is something we also do at other nature reserves.
Part of the process of managing our native species also means removing trees that don’t belong there. By taking these trees out of our woodland, we give more room to native trees that are much better for the wildlife at RSPB Fairburn Ings. Sycamore is removed from our woodland, because although it’s a naturalised species in the UK, it’s non-native, so has no benefit for species that have adapted to live on other types of tree.
What are our volunteers doing to help?
Keiran Bull, visitor experience manager at RSPB Fairburn Ings, said: “The willow tit is one of the UK’s most threatened resident species, with its numbers declining 94 per cent over the past 50 years. Fairburn Ings is one of the last remaining strongholds for willow tits in the UK, and we’re doing everything we can to help them.
“Before I joined the RSPB, I’d never even seen one, but when I see the effort our staff and volunteers put in, and catch the occasional glimpse of them, especially during the breeding season, it makes me so happy. It’s incredible to know this precious bird has a home here.
“But willow tits aren’t the only important species we have at Fairburn Ings, and by carefully managing our woodland, we can help other birds, like tree sparrows or great spotted woodpecker flourish here, in the trees they are specially adapted to live, nest and feed in.”
What can I do to help?
The RSPB is always on the lookout for new volunteers. If you’d like to be involved in woodland management, tree planting and habitat creation at RSPB Fairburn Ings, check out our volunteering page.