A Week on the Estate: Burst Buds, Bustling Hedgerows & Exotic Visitors

Here’s some big news about a small bird: there’s a chance we have crested tits on the Estate! This charismatic little bird with its fabulous pied face-paint and spiky hairdo is widespread in Europe but quite rare in the UK. Take a listen to our audio HERE and then the RSPB’s sample audio HERE and see what you think.

FYI, BirdWeather’s AI scores our acoustic hit (above) at 4.8. This figure combines a confidence level of 92% (how clear and identifiable the sound is) and a probability of 2% (how likely it is that the species is in our neighbourhood). Over the month to date, we’ve had 134 acoustic hits for the crested tit, the clearest scoring 5.1 (99% confidence & 2% probability). For comparison, a typical acoustic hit for a robin in our back yard scores 9.9 (100% confidence & 97% probability).

The crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus) feeds on pine seeds and bugs and is widespread in the coniferous forests of northern and central Europe. It is somewhat parochial in the UK, where it generally restricts itself to old Caledonian forests and more recent pine plantations in northern Scotland. That said, vagrant birds do pop up in England and we’d be thrilled if they found our Estate to their liking and became an established presence.

On the subject of exotic visitors, we may also have serins in our back yard, albeit temporarily. We’ve had five detections over the last four weeks, the clearest scoring 4.1 (94% confidence & 1% probability). It’s very far from conclusive but the confidence score makes it intriguing. Slightly resembling a yellowhammer and distinguished by a high-pitched and manically rapid song, the serin (Serinus serinus) is categorised by the RSPB as a passage migrant that visits south-east England in limited numbers in early spring. They’re fairly common in southern Europe and North Africa and we wonder if they’re pushing their range northwards with rising temperatures.

Watch this space for more good news about biodiversity. If you’d like to follow our journey in person, jump onto one of our Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival Birdwatching Tours. Click HERE to book. Who knows what you’ll see and hear?

Speaking of splendid additions to the Estate, how’s this for a spring treat? Join us at the Massingberd-Mundy Distillery for a Guided Gin Tasting with new Master Distiller Ed Gibson on Thursday 24^th April at 7pm. Here’s what’s on offer:

– You’ll be greeted at the Massingberd-Mundy Distillery with a welcoming gin & tonic. If you’re driving, we’ll offer you a miniature to take-away instead (see how we think of you? 😉).

– Ed will lead you through the fascinating history of gin and show you how each and every bottle of Massingberd-Mundy gin is lovingly crafted by hand for your sipping pleasure.

– You’ll have the chance to taste gins from across the Massingberd-Mundy range, including special editions currently in the works. You’ll also get an exclusive glimpse of what we’ve got in store for you in the future.

– As a parting gift, you’ll have the opportunity to take some of our quaffable gins home with you with a 10% discount.

Spaces are limited and this tour will be popular. Click HERE to book for only £25 per person (£22.50 to Friends of SOE). For a chat with Ed about all-things distilling, click HERE.

Finally, here are yet more tempting options for visiting South Ormsby Estate.  Sabrina Kelly has been busy at the Praetorium and has laid on a variety of FREE Open Days throughout April. Here’s what’s on offer:

–  AI OPEN DAYS – 10am on Tue 8th & Tue 22nd April:

Drop in, explore the space and discover what we’re building.

– AI COFFEE MORNINGS- 10am on Thu 10th, Thu 17th & Thu 24th April:

Informal chats, demos and networking over a coffee.

– AI FOR FAMILIES – 10am & 2pm on Sat 12th, 10am on Tue 15th & 10am on Sat 19th April:

How can you use AI safely as a family?

Whether you’re curious about AI, keen to upskill or just fancy a look around, Sabrina would love to see you. These events are FREE TO ATTEND but please sign up HERE so we can manage numbers. We’d hate to run out of tea and biscuits.

If you’d like to join the conversation, we’d love to hear from you. Just head to our Facebook page HERE and comment beneath the latest blog post. As ever, thanks for your support.

* Coal tit image by Ian Preston via Flickr CC

* Redstart image by hedera.baltica via Flickr CC

* Crested tit image by Caroline Legg via Flickr CC

* Serin image by Gérard Meyer via Flickr CC