First sighting of marsh tit at Spurn Bird Observatory in 16 years

A young marsh tit hatched at one of Yorkshire Water’s flagship nature reserves has completed an extraordinary 33-mile journey across East Yorkshire, becoming the first bird of its kind recorded at Spurn Bird Observatory for 16 years.

The bird was raised at Tophill Low Nature Reserve, near Driffield, where Yorkshire Water’s dedicated team of volunteer nest box monitors manage 134 nesting boxes each year.

While hundreds of blue tits, great tits and coal tits successfully fledged from the reserve this is breeding season, volunteers were delighted to discover a single nest of the much rarer marsh tit in April.

The chicks were carefully monitored before been ringed by licensed bird ringer Poppy Rummery on 10 May as part of ongoing conservation work. Just two months later, one of the young birds was spotted and photographed by bird enthusiast Harry Appleyard at Spurn Bird Observatory on the Humber Coast.

The sighing was particularly significant as marsh tits are rarely recorded at Spurn, with this being the observatory’s first record of the species in 16 years.

Volunteer Roger Darvell, who is part of Yorkshire Water’s nest box monitoring team at Tophill Low said: “Marsh tits are much scarcer on the reserve than blue tits, so finding them successfully raising a brood in one of our nest boxes was a real highlight.

“To discover that one of those young birds has travelled all the way to Spurn is fantastic news. Ring recoveries are relatively uncommon, so this shows the chicks fledged successfully and is a great result for everyone involved in monitoring and conserving the species.

“The movement of the bird highlights the important role Yorkshire Water’s nature reserves play in supporting wildlife and improving understanding of bird populations across the region.”

Tophill Low continues to support a wide range of conservation projects including ongoing bird ringing programmes and research into sand martins in partnership with the University of Manchester. The reserve is also home to Yorkshire Water’s willow tit conservation initiative, helping protect one of the UK’ fastest declining woodland bird species.

Visitors wanting to learn more about Yorkshire Waters nature reserves and conservation work can meet the team at the Spurn Migration Festival on the 11 and 13 September 2026, where Tophill Low volunteers will be showcasing their work.