Marsh tit

[twenty]

Found a Marsh tits nest today, in a split in a tree stump.......6 eggs, so probably an incomplete clutch so far......bird identified as it left the nest and landed nearby.

[JDog]

I’ve never seen one to my knowledge. Good find.

[twenty]

2 minutes ago, JDog said:

I’ve never seen one to my knowledge. Good find.

Yeah, well pleased........ I've never found a Marsh tits nest before.

[NatureBoy]

Well spotted! Nested locally last year and they ring a few each year up one of the farms. Always had trouble telling them from willow tits at distance if they not calling. Heard my first cuckoo of year Thursday. Loads of sky larks about. Huge hatches of St Marks (thorn) flys over last few days been a bonus for all birds, especially feeding young.  NB

[Walker570]

That's good news on the sky larks.  I must admit I have difficulty in remembering the differences between those little 'black' head tit species. Whats the one with a white stripe down its neck?

Is that a marsh tit?

[twenty]

13 hours ago, Walker570 said:

That's good news on the sky larks.  I must admit I have difficulty in remembering the differences between those little 'black' head tit species. Whats the one with a white stripe down its neck?

Is that a marsh tit?

No that's the coal tit,........Marsh and Willow tit are very difficult to tell apart, their song is a good way of telling, and also, the marsh tit has a small white line between the mandibles of  its beak, and lighter colouring on the wings.

The nest is a giveaway as well, Marsh tits use existing tree hollows, whereas Willow tits excavate their own, in rotting tree stumps.

[Walker570]

Many thanks.  I have a number of coal tits in my wood and visiting the tree rat flip tops.  I am pretty certain I have seen one or other of the marsh/willow variety as well.

[twenty]

4 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Many thanks.  I have a number of coal tits in my wood and visiting the tree rat flip tops.  I am pretty certain I have seen one or other of the marsh/willow variety as well.

You may well have seen both Marsh and Willow, they are both red listed with declining populations, so are not particularly common , but they are a devil to  identify, without knowing their distinguishing features, and calls,......Marsh tits tend to favour drier broadleaf woodland, whereas Willow tits prefer damper, wetter woods.

 

All the best.

[Mice!]

On 04/05/2020 at 08:28, twenty said:

tit,........Marsh and Willow tit are very difficult to tell apart,

I'm still yet to get a 100% identification on these, we have one of them nearby. 

Seems Willow tits like old coal mining areas as most spotted on the reserves near me are on reclaimed land

[twenty]

9 hours ago, Mice! said:

I'm still yet to get a 100% identification on these, we have one of them nearby. 

Seems Willow tits like old coal mining areas as most spotted on the reserves near me are on reclaimed land

If you can get a view of these birds through binoculars you may be able to pick up a small white spot on the upper mandible of the Marsh tit.

Without the spot its a willow tit..........If you go onto The BTO bird identification video site, there  is a good video of Marsh and willow tit differences, plus the calls and songs.

Hope this helps you.....All the best.

[Mice!]

On 25/06/2020 at 08:33, twenty said:

If you can get a view of these birds through binoculars you may be able to pick up a small white spot on the upper mandible of the Marsh tit.

Without the spot its a willow tit..........If you go onto The BTO bird identification video site, there  is a good video of Marsh and willow tit differences, plus the calls and songs.

Hope this helps you.....All the best.

I'm never ready when they pop up, trying to tell them apart without bins as they fly past is well tricky, but thanks

[Mice!]

On 25/06/2020 at 08:33, twenty said:

If you can get a view of these birds through binoculars you may be able to pick up a small white spot on the upper mandible of the Marsh tit.

Without the spot its a willow tit..........If you go onto The BTO bird identification video site, there  is a good video of Marsh and willow tit differences, plus the calls and songs.

Hope this helps you.....All the best.

I've just watched the video thanks, because I spent a good half an hour today at my squirrel feeder watching probably a Willow tit, I think😭😭 I'd forgotten about the little white mark!!

So next time I'm there I'll be looking very closely for that mark, despite being 12.5mtrs away with binoculars and several sightings I still wasn't sure, going off the call I'm thinking Willow, I'm happy seeing either but now it's a case of being sure which one. 

I was also watching mice, and hoping they were dormice but that's something else I have to investigate, I was only supposed to be nipping to fill the feeder and was still there an hour later.

@Sciurus possibly two at risk species??

[Sciurus]

2 hours ago, Mice! said:

I've just watched the video thanks, because I spent a good half an hour today at my squirrel feeder watching probably a Willow tit, I think😭😭 I'd forgotten about the little white mark!!

So next time I'm there I'll be looking very closely for that mark, despite being 12.5mtrs away with binoculars and several sightings I still wasn't sure, going off the call I'm thinking Willow, I'm happy seeing either but now it's a case of being sure which one. 

I was also watching mice, and hoping they were dormice but that's something else I have to investigate, I was only supposed to be nipping to fill the feeder and was still there an hour later.

@Sciurus possibly two at risk species??

I just knew that wood would interest you, so much diversity. there is no such thing as nipping in to fill feeders!

I am not very good on less common birds, I think it’s time for you to chat up the ranger, she should have a good idea of birds on site. The whole area is surrounded by wetlands, so willow or marsh tits are to be expected, I would think.

I know even less about dormice, except they seem to have bushy tails and they love hazel, something they have in common with the greys! Again hopefully the ranger can help.

Where you able to identify which birds were nesting in the dormice boxes?

The RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, is not far away, I know they have marsh and bearded tits. There is a public footpath from Leighton Hall, so you can walk onto the reserve without paying. Then there are the Ospreys at Foulshaw....

Just as well you are going to work full nights, there’s too much going on during the day!

Enjoy

 

 

 

[twenty]

2 hours ago, Mice! said:

I've just watched the video thanks, because I spent a good half an hour today at my squirrel feeder watching probably a Willow tit, I think😭😭 I'd forgotten about the little white mark!!

So next time I'm there I'll be looking very closely for that mark, despite being 12.5mtrs away with binoculars and several sightings I still wasn't sure, going off the call I'm thinking Willow, I'm happy seeing either but now it's a case of being sure which one. 

I was also watching mice, and hoping they were dormice but that's something else I have to investigate, I was only supposed to be nipping to fill the feeder and was still there an hour later.

@Sciurus possibly two at risk species??

Yes, both of these are on the Red list of 67 British birds, so is the Herring gull, believe it or not.

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, Sciurus said:

I just knew that wood would interest you, so much diversity. there is no such thing as nipping in to fill feeders!

I am not very good on less common birds, I think it’s time for you to chat up the ranger, she should have a good idea of birds on site. The whole area is surrounded by wetlands, so willow or marsh tits are to be expected, I would think.

I know even less about dormice, except they seem to have bushy tails and they love hazel, something they have in common with the greys! Again hopefully the ranger can help.

Where you able to identify which birds were nesting in the dormice boxes?

The RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, is not far away, I know they have marsh and bearded tits. There is a public footpath from Leighton Hall, so you can walk onto the reserve without paying. Then there are the Ospreys at Foulshaw....

Just as well you are going to work full nights, there’s too much going on during the day!

Enjoy

 

 

 

I wouldn't have waited but for the Willow? Tit, which meant I spotted the mice and the Robin's, then blue tits,tree creeper, when, 4 maybe 5 squirrels came but not on the feeder, probably because I was standing watching not tucked away.

I didn't take a rifle this week knowing I couldn't shoot Friday and the weather was supposed to be bad all week.

I only looked in three of the boxes all had blue tits in them.

It certainly makes a difference putting a feeder in an area when it comes to spotting wildlife. 

 

[Mice!]

19 hours ago, Sciurus said:

know even less about dormice,

Looking at pictures today I would say Bank Voles, not even mice! You'd think I'd have known 😅😅

[Sciurus]

With hindsight, that’s perhaps why you only saw them on the ground rather than running up the trunk.

I’ll say nothing about your user name! 🐀