A Spotted Flycatcher has made an appearance in the garden at the visitor centre at RSPB Geltsdale. This small, brown, unassuming bird is known for its flycatching skills. It is often found in parks, gardens, woodlands and clearings and can be seen flying from a perch to snatch flying insects in mid air. It feeds on butterflies, damselflies, craneflies, moths, bees and wasps, and may search trees and shrubs for insects as well. When feeding on bees and wasps, the Spotted Flycatcher rubs the sting of the insect on its perch to remove it and make it safe for it to eat.
Spotted Flycatchers (Latin name: Muscicapa striata) measure around 14 cm in length, weigh between 14 and 19g and have a wingspan of 23 to 25 cm. They are brown on top, with cream or buff underparts, brown legs, a long tail and a short, thin, black beak. They can be seen throughout the UK during the breeding season, from April to August. They leave the UK to spend the winter in Africa, and passage migrants may be seen in the UK in September. During the breeding season, Spotted Flycatchers build a nest of twigs, grass, moss and lichen in a sheltered nook. The female lays a clutch of four to five eggs, and they hatch after 12 to 14 days, with the chicks ready to fledge 13 to 16 days after hatching. Juvenile Spotted Flycatchers look similar to the adults, although they are darker brown.
Spotted Flycatchers are classified as Red under Bird of Conservation Concern and protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Listen out for their quiet 'tseep, tseep' call and squeaky song, and you might be lucky enough to spot one yourself - and even witness its airborne flycatching acrobatics!