Marsh Tit on the Move

I'm continually amazed how an unexpected find always delights me.

I fully appreciate why many birders chase the rarities across the world, but that has never appealed to me. As a result I'll never make a top birder. No one would believe me when I say I've not made an effort to view the Cattle Egrets in Somerset this winter. I've not been close to where they are, so unless I pass by, they'll remain un-viewed.

Years ago I knew a top birder who would charter helicopters when some poor unfortunate bird was wrecked in the Scilly Isles, hop over, see the bird for 5 minutes then come home. That's not birding for me and why I gave up on birdwatching in my teens to study Mustelids (especially Otters).

I could talk about Otters for ages. In the 1980's I'd spend weeks on Skye watching them, never ever lost the thrill of seeing an Otter come in off the sea, and walk up towards where I was hidden as a voyeur to it's daily business. I was once so engrossed on watching an Otter, I hadn't seen an Atlantic Seal haul up on the beach behind me. I was stuck then, as to move I'd have scared both. What better way to spend a summers day on Skye?

Back to the story. As it's half term, the roads are gloriously free of spotlessly clean 4x4's taking children to school in Bristol. My 20 mile drive to work up the M5 is a very pleasurable 25 minutes. This morning I seemed to be 15 minutes ahead of myself, so stopped at Leigh Woods, a National Trust property on the "old Somerset" side of the Avon Gorge, in the hope of a Coal Tit for this years list. A species which seems to be playing hide and seek with me this year. Before Christmas 2 were in the garden every day. Where are they? They're up to something.

Bristol is very lucky to have both Leigh Woods and Ashton Court on its doorstep, both large open areas which were protected by the Smyth Family from development, then bequeathed in lieu of death duties. The woods were alive with birdsong, but not a single Coal Tit !! However I had a fabulous view of a Marsh Tit, which is the first I've seen for nearly a year.

These are though birds to ID, having only been separated as a separate species from Willow Tits in the 1890's. Guide books blithely quote sooty (Willow) or shiny (Marsh) head, or icing on wing bars (Willow) but in the field when they're flitting about, that's not easy. Luckily though this one handily called it's classic Pit-Chew call, so there you go, Marsh Tit in a tree, species 98.

2 species to go to 100, so may cheat and go to Slimbridge over the weekend and get some winter wildfowl before they depart.