Red deer. Copyright Mike Malpass
It seems that autumn is well and truly upon on us and the wildlife here on the reserve is gearing up for the seasonal changes. Red deer stags have been strutting their stuff as the annual rut gets underway and visitors to Grisedale Hide have been getting great views of these massive mammals in recent days. Also at Grisedale the long-staying purple heron continues to attract the crowds. Present since mid-August, this continental wanderer must surely head south soon? Or might we see the first ever wintering purple heron here at Leighton Moss?
Ducks numbers have been slowly increasing and we now have plenty of shovelers, gadwall, teal and mallard on the meres along with newly arriving wigeons and pintails.
Purple heron. Copyright Mike Malpass
Out on the Allen and Eric Morecambe pools huge flocks of lapwings, black-tailed godwits and redshanks have been joined by multiple greenshanks, shelducks and earlier this week a lone, unseasonal avocet!
Autumn of course is also the best tie to see one of our most sought-after residents; the bearded tit.
This rather comically named bird is something of an enigma. Firstly, it’s not even a member of the tit family. Unlike the blue tits and great tits that we might see in our gardens or in the local park, these characterful birds belong in a family all of their own with no other close relatives. They also go by a couple of other rather intriguing names; bearded parrotbill and, more accurately, bearded reedling.
That last name reflects their habit of living in reeds, something that Leighton Moss famously has lots of! And that’s another reason for their mysterious appeal. Reed beds are often vast, seemingly impenetrable places and small, secretive birds can be very hard to see as they go about their business in the swathes of dense vegetation. They do however give themselves away with their distinctive ‘pinging’ calls, which can admittedly add to the birdwatchers’ frustration as unlike good Victorian children they can often be heard, but not seen.
Bearded tit. Copyright Mick Walmsley
Bearded tits have been nesting at Leighton Moss since the early 1970s. Their numbers can fluctuate dramatically and they are particularly prone to suffering population crashes as a result of severe weather. Former senior warden John Wilson has been studying the birds since they first arrived at the reserve and is still involved in monitoring the population at Leighton Moss. Each year young and adult birds are caught and fitted with coloured rings which allow researchers to identify individuals. This allows us to assess how many bearded tits live on the reserve as well as discovering how well they’re surviving from one season to the next.
There are number of ways that we can actively help these attractive birds and one highly inventive method has been the creation of special bearded tit ‘wigwams’. These unique nestboxes are fashioned from woven reeds and provide a safe place for the birds to nest. Former warden at the reserve, David Mower, helped pioneer these unusual structures and they have now been adopted on other RSPB reserves, with great success.
Another way in which we can help bearded tits is perhaps somewhat more surprising. Like many songbirds, beardies (as they affectionately known) eat protein-rich insects throughout the spring and summer months when they are in good supply. But in autumn when this food source starts to diminish, the birds have to look elsewhere for nourishment. This is when they change their diet and focus on the plentiful reed seeds. However, in order to digest the relatively hard seeds they need to break them up. Now, this isn’t easy when you don’t have any teeth and the birds’ bills aren’t quite designed to deal with the problem. So, in late September and through October the birds start to consume grit, which sits in a pouch in their chest known as a crop, and grinds up the seeds as they eat them. And this where the RSPB comes in. We provide platforms which look much like a standard bird table, but rather than scatter sunflower seeds and suet pellets on them we place small piles of grit. And the bearded tits can’t get enough of it. And better still, neither can our human visitors!
Each October the grit trays draw crowds of admirers keen to catch a glimpse of these otherwise elusive reed-dwellers. If you wish to learn more about these wonderful local residents, you can book on the ever-popular ‘Brilliant Bearded Tit’ walks taking place on 17 and 24 October. The cost for these special walks is £7 or £5.50 for RSPB members. Children are half price. Pre-booking is essential for these events and spaces are limited. Details are available on the website at www.rspb.org.uk/events or call the Leighton Moss visitor centre on (01524) 701601 to book your place.
Jon Carter