The lesser spotted treecreeper
Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve Ranger Laura Preston is on holiday, so seasonal ranger Mike Butler would like to tell you about an enigmatic little bird.
This week I was out in our woodlands and I noticed a small bird moving around.
I went for a closer look and thought it was a wren, but I was wrong – I was looking at a small, shy bird known as a treecreeper.
A treecreeper is not particularly rare, but they can be so unassuming they often go unseen – therefore I thought I would bring them to you, so you can have a good view of what they look like and how they behave.
We will start with how it looks; a treecreeper has a mottled black and brown top with a white underneath. This allows it to camouflage so well with the tree bark.
It has a white belly and is finished off with a striking and a little bizarre down-curved beak.
The noise the treecreeper makes also doesn’t help, as it makes a sound very similar to insects, and so is often overlooked.
In terms of size, you are looking for a bird around the size of a wren, which is why I mistook it for one. Some amazing behaviour is displayed by this bird and why they got their name – they literally creep up trees.
Unlike the nuthatch it cannot move back down head-first and so will start at the bottom of the tree and slowly spiral its way up, looking for insects on the bark.
One thing that surprised me this year was finding a nest – this is because I didn’t give it any thought in the first place.
They tend to nest behind some loose bark. They build a nest up with twigs moss and grass, and finish lining it with wool or hair, depending on what they can find.
As you can imagine, being behind a piece of bark makes the nest really tiny, especially when you can have a clutch of five or six, meaning that, towards the end, the nest is pretty packed.
The treecreeper is an amazing bird to see, so keep your eyes peeled.
It is always a treat when I see one, as they have quite the personality.
Often, if they see you have spotted them, they will just freeze on the tree.
This is the perfect opportunity to see them. Have fun exploring, and hope you all see a treecreeper really soon.