Birds of Britain

by J. Lewis Bonhote

THE BEARDED REEDLING
Panurus biarmicus (Linnæus)

Extremely scarce and local in our islands, being confined to not more than half-a-dozen localities, this charming little bird, more than any others perhaps of our rarer species, is worth a journey to see. Inhabiting large and extensive reed-beds, it used formerly to be abundant in the fens of Huntingdon, Cambridge, and other eastern counties, but with the reclaiming and draining of the land it has slowly died out, only holding its own in those few places where Nature still reigns supreme. Its exact systematic position is doubtful, as it shows no close affinity with any other known species; one point, however, is absolutely certain, namely that its popular name of “Tit” is quite a misnomer, as it has no connection in appearance or habits with those delightful birds. The naturalist, therefore, who goes to visit him at home must not search for him on trees or look for his nest in holes. As the boat glides quietly past some reed-bed his first acquaintance of this bird will be the clear and unmistakable “ping-ping,” a note answered almost immediately by another close by. Soon, if he remains quiet, he will see a small light-brown bird with long tail rise from the reeds and, progressing with undulating flight, settle again a short distance on. Although very tame and unsuspicious, the Bearded Reedling is very hard to watch, owing to the thickness of the reeds in which he lives, but if we wait about patiently we can see a good deal of him as he searches the mud at the base of the reeds for minute molluscs, of which he is extremely fond. These he swallows whole, and having exhausted the treasures of one spot he will run up two reeds, resting one foot on each alternately, with surprising rapidity and then fly off with a merry “ping-ping” to renew his search in some other spot, and possibly, if the place be more open, we may see him scratch up the soft ooze with a peculiar backward motion of both feet and then eagerly scan the spot to see if his labours have met their reward. Early in April he pairs, and a nest of leaves and rushes, deeply cup-shaped and lined with the feathery tops of the reeds, is built. Materials are collected by both sexes, but especially by the cock, while the building itself is entirely carried on by the hen. A clutch of six eggs is laid; they are very round in shape and dead white, freckled with minute black markings. Two broods are reared in the season, the young being fed chiefly on insects. It is essentially a resident species and spends the whole year wandering over the reed-beds in family parties, feeding on insects, molluscs, or seeds, the party keeping together by a continual use of the call-note. At nightfall they all gather close together on some broken reed, where they sleep securely till dawn awakens them to another day of restless work and energy.

BEARDED REEDLING
Panurus biarmicus

The general colour above is tawny orange, the secondaries are striped with rufous buff and black, the tail is long, wedge-shaped, and of the same colour as the back. Chin and throat whitish, becoming pinker on the breast and passing into tawny brown on the flanks; under-tail coverts black. The male has the crown of the head a delicate grey and a black moustache of elongated feathers running downwards from the lores and beneath the eye. In the females this moustache is wanting and the crown of the head is brown, but otherwise they resemble the male. The young differ from the female in having the crown and back striped with black. Length 6·75 in.; wing 2·25 in.

THE LONG-TAILED TIT
Acredula caudata (Linnæus)

There must be few of us who have not noticed this charming little bird when we are walking in winter along a hedgerow. We are attracted by a high-pitched “zi-zit” as the bird darts from the hedge in front of us, and after a few yards of undulating flight settles again. It is not alone, for another and yet another Tit follows till the whole family party are busy at work hopping and creeping about the hedge. Shortly the whole proceeding takes place again, the family procession moving on to search for food in a new spot. All this goes on daily during the winter months; up one hedgerow, down another; now hopping up a tree, occasionally visiting a small wood, ever on the move, and ever restless, till the evening comes, when the little party gather to rest, sitting close to each other on some slender bough.

In April, however, this roving life ends. The cock bird seeks a mate and they proceed to make a summer home, sometimes in an open hedgerow, but more often in the hedge bordering a wood, or in some isolated bush in the wood itself. It would be difficult to imagine anything more beautiful than their nest, which is perhaps the most elaborate of any of our British Birds! It is a solid thick-walled elliptical mass of felted moss completely covered externally with lichens, which are largely interwoven by means of cobwebs. The entrance, for it is entirely covered in, is towards the upper end, and the interior is lined with horsehair and innumerable feathers, as many as seven hundred having been counted in a single nest.

LONG-TAILED TIT
Acredula caudata