The Penduline Tits of Weston

Three vagrant Penduline Tits are overwintering at an old Airfield just outside of Weston-Super-Mare. I went to see them right at the end of last year but was left quite dissatisfied with the very distant scope views that I had. So on Wednesday I planned another visit to hopefully get a better view and, perhaps, even a few photos.

   

Penduline Tits are comparatively common in mainland Europe but only occur as rare vagrants in the UK. They were first recorded in the British Isles in the 1960’s and we now usually have one or two small groups that overwinter here. Their range is slowly expanding leading to some hope that they will become more established in the UK.

 

Penduline tits are not true tits  but are vaguely similar in appearance and share their namesakes' agile and frenetic foraging habits. Their common name refers to their elaborate pear-shaped nests. These nests are woven from spiderweb, wool and animal hair and soft plant materials and are suspended from twigs and branches in trees. They are small very attractive birds with a sharp pointed bill, rusty-brown back, and black bandit like mask.

 

I decided to take big bertha with me, aka my heavy 800mm lens, as they are such small restless birds. With the lens wide open at f5.6 I hoped to achieve reasonably low ISO speeds with a high enough shutter speed to capture them during their rapid frantic feeding.

 

I had sussed out from my previous visit that it was possible to park very comfortably at the other end of the airfield to where I had parked in December and hence avoid a long muddy walk to their location. I arrived just before nine in light rain and was surprised to discover I was first on site. I positioned myself next to the largest bullrush clump and waited with fingers crossed. The Penduline Tits feed on the seed heads of the bullrushes, often giving their presence away by the demolished fluffy seed heads drifting away on the wind. For the first 30 minutes or so the only avian activity was from a pair of inquisitive Stonechats. There was another small clump of bullrushes a little to the left of where I was standing which I kept checking and, sure enough, I soon spied a Penduline Tit feeding in typical manic fashion. He was rapidly joined by the other two birds present and the three bird spent the next 15 minutes or so working their way along the bullrushes towards us when something alarmed them and they flew off.

 

Another birder found them 30 minutes or so later further down the path and we were treated to some excellent close views of these characterful little gems before an overhead Sparrowhawk had them making a very hasty and wise retreat into deep cover.

  

I was very satisfied with my mornings views so I retired to my car for a quick sandwich lunch and then set off to the nearby Somerset levels for a spot of general birding. First stop was a location where a Tundra Bean Goose had been reported as hanging out with a small group to Canada Geese. They took a little finding as they were quite distant but I eventual spied the distinctive Bean Goose feeding with three Canada Geese. I was surprised to learn when I got home that was the first Tundra Bean Goose they I had seen for five years. There are always a few flocks overwintering in the UK but, of course, you have to make the effort to go and see them! 

 

The other thing of note of the levels were the number of Great White Egret present. I have talked before about the Egret colonisation of the UK, see here, but I was struck by how common they now are of the levels as I saw at least ten separate birds.

 

I decided to finish the day at the nearby RSPB reserve at Greylake where a rare Baikal Teal had been reported. It was really like looking for a needle in a haystack with large flocks of wildfowl and much cover for them to hide in. The bird had not been seen since it swam off into distant cover at lunch time and indeed it was not spotted again that day. Fortunate then that I did not need Baikal Teal for my UK life list!