Bearded Tits by Graham Catley
Bearded Tits have declined markedly in the county in the past ten years. After a peak of 35 pairs in the Humber clay pits in 1983 the population fell to just four pairs in 1987 following some hard winters but reached ten pairs again in 1990. During the 1990's in spite of warm winters the peak population has been just seven pairs in 1997 and in the last two years only four females have nested. Several broods are reared but most of those in April in recent years seem to have succumbed to the weather so is this a determining factor in the recent declines? The habitat where the birds used to nest is still there but the recent breeding birds have all been confined to the clay pits to the west of the Humber bridge. October 28th 2001 produced some small irruptive flocks at Barton with up to 10 birds in the pursuits pit reedbeds where the male and female attahced were photographed with the Coolpix 880 and the Swarovski scope combination .
Female Bearded Tit Photographs © Graham Catley
Male Bearded Tit Photographs © Graham Catley
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