A most welcome winter visitor

I was delighted to see the article regarding Longtailed tits in the January 2021 issue. The photographs were enchanting: I had forgotten that many years ago, when living in Norway, we had actually seen the white-headed Long-tailed tit, and there were many facts regarding what must be one of my favourite birds, which I was unaware of. However, I was very surprised to read in the paragraph ‘varied habitats’ that this bird was ‘absent from most of the Scottish Highlands…’ We live in the Cairngorm National Park in the Highlands. We have these delightful birds visiting our garden regularly on the feeders and often in and out of the honeysuckle and clematis immediately outside the sitting room window, and have had 13 at one time. They visit all year round, but particularly in winter. This region is cold in winter and high altitude for the UK. We also see Long-tailed tits regularly on local walks and walks further towards the Moray coast. I am so fond of these birds, a friend knitted me two stuffed ones. Kate Fowler, Scottish Highlands