Lake Vyrnwy is home to a significant population of Willow Tits, with more than 30 breeding pairs recorded in recent surveys. This is no small feat, given that Willow Tit numbers have declined by a staggering 96% across the UK since 1967.
5 min read
Small, soft-grey and often overlooked, Willow Tits are remarkable birds. Unlike many other tits, they excavate their own nest holes in soft, decaying wood—making them entirely dependent on damp, scrubby woodland rich in dead and dying trees. These habitats, once widespread, have become increasingly rare as woodland management has favoured tidier, drier conditions. As a result, the Willow Tit has become a powerful indicator of the health of wet woodland ecosystems.
At Lake Vyrnwy, the landscape still offers some of what they need. Areas of wet scrub and woodland along riverbanks as well as the rotational felling associated with commercial forestry have created pockets of suitable habitat. But truly wet Willow woodland—the species’ preferred environment—remains scarce.
That’s now changing.
Until recently, Coed Belan was a plantation of non-native Norway Spruce, planted on what was once wetland. Over time, drainage ditches dried out the soil, making it unsuitable for the mosaic of habitats that species like the Willow Tit depend on. In 2021, the plantation was felled as part of a wider effort to restore native woodland and bring the site back to life.
The next step was crucial: restoring the water.
By blocking the network of drainage ditches, conservation teams aimed to re-wet the woodland, allowing natural processes to return. Wet soils slow decomposition, encourage insect life, and promote the growth of willow and other native trees—creating exactly the kind of conditions Willow Tits need to thrive.
This work received a major boost last autumn, when Heartlands Pipelines Ltd donated their time and machinery while installing a nearby water main. In just one day, two excavators successfully blocked 400 metres of drainage ditches. At the same time, their team planted over 700 native trees, including Willow, Alder, Aspen and Birch, helping to accelerate the woodland’s recovery and increase its diversity.
The transformation is already underway. As water levels rise and vegetation begins to regenerate, Coed Belan will shift from a drained plantation to a dynamic, wet woodland. Over time, it will develop the dense thickets, standing deadwood and rich insect life that define this habitat.
For Willow Tits, this could mean new territory, new nesting sites, and a stronger future.
And for those walking the trails in years to come, there’s the promise of hearing their distinctive call —“zi-zi taah taah taah”— echoing through a woodland once again shaped by water, wildlife and careful restoration.
