On a tree by a river a little tom-tit
Sang “Willow, tit willow, tit willow”
And I said to him, “Dicky-bird, why do you sit
Singing ‘Willow, tit willow, tit willow’”
“Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?” I cried
“Or a rather tough worm in your little inside”
With a shake of his poor little head, he replied “Oh, willow, tit willow, tit willow!”The Mikado 1885 W.S. Gilbert and A. Sullivan
Image credit: Nick Martin – allthingswildlife.co.uk
With funding from Severn Trent’s Boost for Biodiversity Fund, between 2020 – 2023 Tame Valley Wetlands have carried out an exciting project, ‘On a Tree by a River’, aiming to bring back from the brink the willow tit, one of the most threatened native birds in the UK into one of its last strongholds in the West Midlands, and to give local people a stake in its future now and for generations to come.
From 2023 onwards, our work will be focused on surveying populations of willow tit to monitor the effects of our work and identify need for further improvements. We will also continue to work with volunteers to maintain habitats for willow tit throughout the area.
The willow tit, Poecile montanus, was once a comparatively widespread and common bird across the UK. Until the 19th century, it was considered to be the same species as the closely related marsh tit. However the willow tit is now recognised as a separate species, and has recently seen a dramatic population decline (94% between 1970 and 2012), thought to be due to factors such as habitat loss and lack of suitable nesting sites. This is the second largest decline of any resident bird after the turtle neck dove, putting willow tits on the Red List and giving them the highest conservation priority.
The Tame Valley Wetlands Nature Improvement Area (NIA) still holds a nationally important population of willow tit, with strongholds at Ladywalk Nature Reserve, managed by West Midlands Bird Club (WMBC), and Middleton Lakes, managed by the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Willow tits are highly territorial, so to expand their range and see an increase in population, the areas of suitable habitat would need to be increased. Willow tits prefer young, low, wet woodlands and typically build new nests each year in dead wood. These habitats are relatively transient, frequently drying out and developing into mature woodland over 20-30 years. Therefore, they need active management to provide optimum conditions for willow tit to thrive. The Tame Valley NIA includes a range of sites which, through appropriate management, could provide suitable additional habitat for willow tit.
The main aim of ‘On a Tree by a River’ is to increase the population and local range of willow tit in the Tame Valley Area. In order to do this, we are working to improve connectivity between territories by enhancing existing sites and creating new habitat, involving tree and scrub planting, creation of scrapes and wet areas and provision of suitable nesting sites and birdboxes.
The project is overseen by a steering group comprising Tame Valley Wetlands, RSPB and West Midlands Bird Club.
We will be working from six sites throughout the project, detailed by the map. Click on the map to enlarge the image.
Want to get involved in bringing back the willow tit?
If you would like to volunteer, help us with monitoring, or let us know about any sightings, please contact us by emailing willowtit@tamevalleywetlands.co.uk.
