Treecreeper - a photo on Flickriver

Treecreeper

            The treecreeper is a bird that many people have not seen but with over 200,000 breeding territories in the UK, it is a lot more common than you might think.
It is rarely reported in gardens, but not necessarily because it isn’t there. A quiet, unobtrusive bird, it blends in with its habitat and rarely ventures out to bird feeders.
Treecreepers are more likely to be found in gardens between November and April, probably due to the fact that they are more conspicuous in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees.
They are solitary, sedentary birds – you’d be lucky to see more than a pair.
Once a treecreeper establishes a territory, it tends to stay within the boundaries.
Ringing research in Nottinghamshire found that the treecreepers studied did not usually venture further than 500m.
Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
Eurasian treecreeper
A local West Country name for the treecreeper is the ‘tree mouse’, which suits it perfectly.
It climbs up tree trunks in a ‘mouse-like’ manner, supported by its long, stiff tail.
Unlike the nuthatch, it can’t climb back down head first. It has to hop down backwards due to its tail getting in the way so will often choose to fly down instead. If a treecreeper is disturbed, it generally freezes on the tree trunk. Its black and brown mottled plumage provides camouflage and makes it look like the bark of a tree.
In my experience, the species has an annoying habit of avoiding you by moving quickly to the other side of the tree the minute you spot one. When it comes to nestbuilding, the treecreeper did not opt the most common solution.
Instead, it builds its nest behind a flap of loose bark.
The treecreeper starts with a base of twigs and then add grass, moss, lichen and wood chips. It takes about a week to build the whole nest.
The female then lines the nest with hair, wool and feathers.
Given that a clutch size is about 5-6, the nest can get quite crowded towards the end.
Treecreepers breed between April and July, taking advantage of caterpillars to feed their young.
You can buy wedge-shaped nestboxes that have been designed for treecreepers, but they are rarely used.
How to spot a treecreeper
If you see a treecreeper up-close, it is hard to mistake it for anything else.
It has mottled brown and black plumage above and is mainly white below, with a long, slender, downcurved bill.
   

Taken on: April 20, 2018

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