Nature reserve enjoys resurgence of bearded tits

A nature reserve in East Yorkshire has seen a resurgence in numbers of a rare bird that nearly disappeared from the UK.

RSPB Blacktoft Sands, in Goole, has experienced a record year in the breeding of bearded tits, also known as "beardies", which came dangerously close to extinction in the UK in the 1940s.

Around 120 pairs of the small, reedbed bird produced 500 young last year at the reserve – more than double the breeding success rate of previous years.

Pete Short, RSPB Humber Estuary reserves manager, said seeing the orangey-brown, long-tailed birds at the reserve was a "special nature spectacle".

In 1948, the English population of bearded tits was thought to be down to just two pairs at RSPB Minsmere, the society said.

The population then grew to about 100 pairs in south-east England in the early 1960s and have nearly doubled over the past 25 years.

The RSPB said the resurgence was down to 25 years of dedicated reedbed management at Blacktoft, including winter reed cutting.

Mr Short said: "Watching our bearded tits darting around the reedbeds is a special nature spectacle.

"Carefully managing wetlands is important for some of our rarest species and we're delighted that our management of the reedbeds is paying off.

"Wetlands are important to us all and without them we would lose so much."

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