THESE ‘flying balls of fluff’ with tails longer than their bodies are considered common in the UK, yet they are a rare, perhaps annual, sight in the town centre of Pembroke Dock.

So it was lovely to capture one of these beautiful birds on camera - part of a group of around five long-tailed tits passing through to pick up some winter food.

Aegithalos Caudatus enjoys a stable population and a green conservation status (‘least concern’), but the species is vulnerable to prolonged periods of cold on account of its size. For warmth at night, these gregarious birds huddle together on a branch.

Young are raised by both parents, plus additional adult helpers, in intricate nests constructed from lichen, feathers and cobwebs.