At Long Last

Having been stuck indoors for over a week with a bad back, I managed a 20 minute walk around Liden Lagoon yesterday. It wasn't too bad but it did ache for a good hour or so.  However I decided to be a bit more adventurous today and as I had to go Clifton Cameras in Dursley for a new eye piece for my Kowa spotting scope, it seemed silly not to go and have a look at the two male Penduline Tits at Horsebere Reserve, Gloucester.

So having sorted out what I needed at the Camera Shop it was off up the M5 to Horsebere. Once parked up, in probably the most dangerous layby I've ever parked up in, it was off up to reserve gate.

Dawn and I weren't the only ones there, and it was quite apparent that once on the reserve that the 5 or so other birders on site, hadn't seen the Penduline's in the time they had been there. With scopes and binoculars scouring the reedbeds, it was that time to catch up on who was who and how far had you travelled.

There were a couple chaps from Bridgewater, 2 from Gloucester and 1 chap from Newport, Shropshire. And amazingly he knew my good friend Ed Wilson, who also lives in Newport and sends in reports from Priorslee Lake to the FoPL Blog that I run. What a small world we live in.

After 10 minutes of watching loads of Chiffchaffs, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and Reed Buntings feeding in the Bulrushes, I noticed in the corner of my eye two birds fly onto the reserve from the direction of the main road. Having seen on BirdGuides that they have a habit of flying off and then returning later, I hoped that the two birds that had flown in were the Penduline's.

I was in luck as a male popped up from behind a Bulrush. A quick it's over here and all the birders trained their scopes and binoculars to the spot I was pointing out. Yep they were back and so that we all could see them better, without peering into the setting sun, we all set off to the embankment adjacent to the main road.

From here the views of both birds were excellent and we watched them for a good half-an-hour or so, before leaving. A UK tick and a really good one. My first ever Penduline Tit was just north of Brindisi, Italy back in 1994, so its been a long wait for my next one.

Horsebere Reserve

The Birders and yours truly (the baldy one) in the centre

One of the male Penduline Tits

Not so much here in the sunlight, but in the shade there really do blend in with bulrushes.

Always on the move I think I was extremely lucky to capture at least one of the two here.

I believe they have been present here since 11 Jan 16. If they were a pair, they might have bred here. As it is, come Spring, I would think they will move on in the hope of finding a mate. Extremely unlikely as there are only about 7 in the UK this year.

Little Egret and an annoying post!

a bit better

Heading into the reedbeds

to join his mate.

Also seen there this afternoon 2 Little Egret, Mute Swan, Mallard, 2 Buzzard, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 12+ Chiffchaff, 8+ Long-tailed Tit, 5+ Blue Tit, Wren, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting.