GO WILD WITH ERIC PAYLOR
A LARGE flock of bearded tits has been causing a great deal of interest among Teesside’s birders.
These secretive lovers of reedbeds have been spotted close to RSPB Saltholme on several occasions.
In fact, they have become proven breeders in the North Tees marshes over the last few years and continue to increase in number.
Up to 20 adults and juvenile bearded tits have been spotted mooching for insects and seeds among the reeds, which suggests that there has been at least two successful nests.
So the bearded tits continue to get a foothold in our region. There are certainly plenty of reedbeds to keep them happy.
Adult male bearded tits are very impressive, with their lavender-grey heads, black moustaches and orange brown bodies. The female is duller and lacks the moustache, while the juveniles have a dark stripe down the middle of their backs.
This super photo of a
juvenile bearded tit was taken by Dave Pearce.
Bearded tits are very sociable birds, so the offspring of the various pairs have united into one big group. However, they can be frustratingly difficult to spot because they stay low on the reed stems.
You often don’t know they are there until you hear their distinctive call, a metallic, ringing “ping, ping” which is exclusive to bearded tits.
Meanwhile, Ray Dobson reports seeing an even rarer bird than the bearded tit, not once but twice.
He said: “I was driving over Greatham Creek when I saw a group of birders and pulled over.
“They were watching Caspian terns. There were two of them, which is apparently something nobody has witnessed before.
“These terns were huge, with large red bills. They are very rare in Britain, never mind Teesside. I’m starting to enjoy this birdwatching lark. I might have to invest in a pair of binoculars!”
Caspian terns are very rare vagrants in Britain. In fact there are usually less than 10 annual sightings of this sea bird, which breeds in America, Africa and Asia.
They do have large red bills, with black legs, and are the size of a herring gull. I saw the Caspian terns, too, and they were dwarfing the nearby black-headed gulls.
Finally, two goldfinches which are rearing young in a bush right in front of my son’s living room window have become TV addicts. Whenever my son watches the box he is aware of the sitting bird looking over his shoulder and watching too!
If you have noted any interesting or unusual wildlife sightings in and around Teesside and Cleveland lately, contact Eric on eric.paylor@ gmail.com