Marsh Tit!

That little chap above is a Marsh Tit... and these past couple of weeks there has been some talk on the patch about whether there's one knocking around Lapwing Lane and the Feeding Station, usually the haunt of Willow Tit. I had debated Marsh Tit records on the reserve with young Michael not long ago, and he was less sceptical than me on account of a photo he'd seen showing a potential bird with a white spot at the base of the bill and had, himself, one or two on the patch over the years. So, when a report of one singing popped up on the Manchester Bird Forum I decided to take advantage of a post-Eunice sunny window and investigate. Parked up the hill alongside the car park and set off...

Today was all about the ears... picked up the expected Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush... less expected Siskin (are these the flock from Pumphouse?), Redwing, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and a totally UNexpected Chiffchaff calling on Lapwing Lane... presumably an overwintering resident or one overwintering off-patch and blown in by Eunice. However, there was no calling OR singing Marsh Tit. 

Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen, Teal, Mallard all calling from Lapwing Lake and there were 30 Cormorant roosting already (it was only about 3pm)... but MT? Nada. At that point my sunny window came to an end and the sky got dark and heavy fast. Fearing a sudden downpour I headed back to the car and bumped into a lad and ladess in birding togs. "Owt about?" I ask... "Marsh Tit..." came the reply. "Really?" I queried, "Was it calling?" "Nope, but it showing well 10 minutes ago at the Feeding Station. A few female Brambling too." I thanked them and shot down.

The place was buzzing. There was a constant stream of Great Tit, Blue Tit and Chaffinch constantly rotating through the feeder in front of the screen along with occasional Robin, Coal Tit and Nuthatch. On the hanging feeders were Great-Spotted Woodpecker and Long-tailed Tit too and Teal, Mallard and Coot pottering around in the puddles - but, there were no Brambling and no Marsh Tit. Ah well, different species come and go at different rates I reasoned and so decided to hunker down and watch. I'm glad I did because the first new species in, about 15 minutes later was, a Willow Tit... followed 1 minute later by another and then 7 minutes later by another... but wait... this one looked different. Was that a pale spot at the base of its bill? It shot off into the trees to my right and I lost it. For the next hour I watched as a pattern began to emerge and I could get more and more on the 'odd' bird. There seemed to be just two Willow Tit. They came in from the back of the feeding station, always from the left in quick succession and returned to the same trees. The 'odd' bird always came from the right and at different times to the other two. I managed to get good views of all of them and concluded the 'two' were likely a pair, clearly Willow Tit, pale on the wing, dull black cap, slightly 'fuzzy' bibs, no bill spots, fattish-necked, whereas the solitary bird has an almost shiny black cap and nape (the black extending more too), no pale patch on the wing, had a dinkier neater bib, seemed less compact and had a distinct pale spot at the base of the upper mandible. Sadly none of them called, so I can't confirm Marsh Tit on call or song, but I'm pretty confident that I can on all the rest. Was able to compare birds in relatively quick succession and in similar light ranging from shade to bright sunlight, so, please, if you're at Moore... keep your eyes (and ears!) peeled and comment me here if you get any records...

Proper chipper and still a little incredulous at the Marsh Tit (the presence on the patch of which I had stubbornly refused to accept up until now), I decided to extend my stay (the weather had brightened) and chance my luck at finding a few year ticks... the Marshy, the earlier Treecreeper and itinerant Chiffchaff being three. Quick check of the trees by the capped tip path, north of the Feeding Station yielded 2 female Brambling. A quick tromp around the boardwalks could not however conjure up a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and I don't know of any records at all for 2022 yet... but I did get a motionless, squirrel-shaped plastic bag hung in a small willow... that actually turned out to be a motionless squirrel (above). I was convinced it was dead and had somehow become 'impaled' in the willow, until I shook the tree and the thing bolted. So, with Lapwing Lane done, I thought, why not see the sun go down at the east end? Always a chance of flitty stuff in the alders alongside Pumphouse, Mill Brook and the Eastern Reedbed. Alas, not today... unless you count Cetti's Warbler, singing briefly at ERB. Mind you, I did finally get calling Water Rail - a late bonus 4th year tick. The river again however, yielded no Goosander, but Firecrest Alley came up trumps...

It was the first time this year I have walked it, preferring usually to skirt the high ridge to look out over the Black Fields and their pools - but not today. There was enough twittering in the Hawthorns for an illusive finch or crest and enough potential in the ditches for flushed Snipe to keep me on the path. Alas just Great Tit, Blue Tit and Robin... oh, and a heavy sigh from me as I passed the bench near where Long-eared Owl used to regularly roost during the winter before the photographers scared them off... ho hum. And as I neared the steps at the far end, I thought that was that, until a Woodcock flitted across the path and disappeared into the wet woods. Year tick number 5 and from the same spot as I'd had one donkey's years ago - go figure...

Pumphouse Pool was next up and despite scanning the mud, no Snipe there either - just the usual (see previous posts recently). Was getting dark so headed off, bumping into a chap called Ian en route who'd had Redpoll earlier (doh) with the small Goldfinch flock that flew in as we watched. Still, Goldfinch was No.6 for me and I got the Redpoll on a quick backtrack later (No.7) so all was good. Took the south path through Birchwood back to the car, picking up 1 male and 2 female Goldeneye on Birchwood Pool... and a bunch of fallen trees from storm Eunice.

 

All in all though, a great couple of hours today - full tally below 51 spp.

GC.Grebe, L.Grebe, M.Swan, C.Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Tufty, Goldeneye, Buzzard, Pheasant, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail, Woodcock, BH.Gull, H.Gull, C.Gull, W.Pigeon, S.Dove, G.Woodpecker, GS.Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, S.Thrush, M.Thrush, Redwing, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Goldcrest, G.Tit, B.Tit, LT.Tit, C.Tit, W.TiT, M.Tit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Siskin, Goldfinch, L.Redpoll, Brambling, Crow, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw

Year List to date, now 73 - starting to look up, but waaaaay off the usually hoped for ton ahead of the first migrants...