LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
Skilful Acrobatics: Long Tailed Tits
If you’re lucky enough to have these boisterous little birds raiding your feeding stations already then you’ll be very familiar with their antics but in case you aren’t, let us introduce you to one of the cutest birds in the UK. They’re common across the country and you can commonly see them zipping about the canopies of the trees in the woodlands and parks. On a trip out to look for deer and foxes locally, my head was turned by a high pitched, excited call moving towards me and suddenly a flock of long tailed tits and their recently fledged young surrounded me to perform skilful acrobatics on the willow trees whilst collecting food. This adult had found a tasty little caterpillar for its six chicks gathered in the hawthorn bush above me. The only way to describe them is black, white, and pink fluff balls, who hadn’t quite grown their characteristic long tails yet. Staying silent whilst Mum and Dad were away, as soon as they came back the chicks certainly let them know it was feeding @KonectMagazines
time. Eventually they moved off in to the higher branches but when an animal or bird as small as a long tailed tit lets you watch them at close quarters you can’t help but walk away with a huge smile on your face.
They’re well worth looking out for and spending a few minutes watching them hanging upside down in the trees - we can guarantee you’ll have the same feelings we do. This column is contributed by Clare Harte and Kate Stevenson, who grew up in Edinburgh and now live in West Lothian. Together they run Scottish Sisters Photography and travel around the country to watch and photograph amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes. www.scottishsistersphotography.com LIVINGSTON | 15
