Anyhow, as you may have gathered, guess what turned up at Rainham today? No idea? Oh, well I'll tell you then - Penduline Tits. They're basically annual here now, and this is a good Reed Mace year - there are heads everywhere. Whilst dipping the Bluethroat last weekend I commented that we were bound to get Pendulines again this winter, and it is nice to have my faith repaid.
Typically they had flown off just before I got there, and after half an hour I started to think of my experience last year, when I missed them by minutes four times before finally connecting. Above the noise of the wind and gassing birders though, came a thin reedy call that no-one else heard. I made this known, which got people concentrating again, and this time we all heard it. And suddenly, there they were, a pair, contact calling constantly, windborne reed-fluff everywhere.
Superb little birds, we are truly lucky to get them. Hopefully they will be around all winter, and will attract more in. I think that a few years ago there were six. I expect the weekend will be fairly busy. For those that don't know, the Dragonfly Pool (so named because there is a sculpture of a dragonfly in it) is along the boardwalk clockwise from the visitor centre, just underneath the Targets (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 on brickwork), in the extreme south-west of the reserve.
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Great photos, J, hope they're still showing on Sat...
ReplyDeleteKev23 (birdforum)
fine photos, and an excellent list of lists!
ReplyDeleteMike (bf)