Wigan Willow Tit Survival

After trials at the Wigan Flashes starting 2000, the opportunity was taken to widen out the management in Wigan which proved to be a success. Despite conservation work in Wigan the endemic sub-species has now declined in the UK. (<3400 pairs). We aim to conserve willow tits creating and maintaining their favoured habitat (early successional wet woodland), thinning of the canopy species, historically planted to ‘enhance the woodlands’. Replanting scrub species such as hazel and elder to develop the scrub woodland under-story is so important to the willow tits. Ground flora will be introduced including woodland grasses, ferns, bluebells, ivy, honeysuckle and wild garlic ensuring food for the Willow tits which use standing dead wood for nesting opportunities; 1.25m stumps, 10 – 20cm diameter at ground level. Holes created in these stumps induce rot. Around 10% of the standing wood within an area will be left as standing dead wood. Please see sheet