Long-tailed tits and Spotted Woodpeckers

This is a great time of year for bird watching as many of the trees have lost their foliage for the winter and birds are easier to spot. Some of the smaller birds form foraging groups making them more visible and audible as they call to each other in the branches. I observed a flock of about 12 long-tailed tits in my local park (Easthill, Portslade) yesterday. While this bird is not a member of the true tit family (Paridae) they are similar in size, shape and behaviour. They are always on the go makiing them quite difficult to photograph. I have spotted long-tailed tits during the winter months on many occasions over the last few years in local parks. I have only once seen them nesting. This was a few years back in St Annes Well Park in Hove.


Another welcome winter visitor to Easthill park is the great spotted woodpecker. I am often alerted to its presence by the drumming sound of its territorial song. For the first time this year I have recorded two individuals in the same park. My observations show this woodpecker forages quite extensively in the park and surrounding area, including street trees and even a telegraph pole.