Reedbed Pingers

As we watched the reedbed last week a party of Bearded Tit came ‘pinging’ over the path.

What you lookin’ at?

Everything seemed to be staring at me on tours recently. Snipe, Bearded Tit and even this Beewolf got in on the action.

Reedbed Denizens

On a tour recently to an area of extensive reedbed we were treated to superb and extended views of both Bittern and Bearded Tit.

I’m constantly surprised by how many of my guests have not seen Bearded Tit and wish to do so. It’s not a difficult species to see but knowing the call makes it soooo much easier.

A bone to pick and a beard to trim

Last week I was asked to identify a bone that had been found on Titchwell beach. If you are interested a photo and write up can be found here

The journey over to Titchwell from West Runton isn’t a short hop so I thought I’d go onto the reserve and take a few photos; making use of the time I had to enjoy myself. The sun was still low over the reserve, Titchwell comes into its own during the afternoon when the sun moves behind you; so conditions were not ideal for photography. However the Bearded Tit were performing so I fired off a few shots. I like the golden quality of ‘into the light photography’ that you often get in reedbeds.

It’s worth noting during my visit to Titchwell and the tour to Minsmere two days earlier I never saw or heard a Cetti’s Warbler. Purely anecdotal of course but I wonder if the recent cold weather has reduced numbers.

Reed bed delight

Looking into the low winter sun across a reed bed the hanging seed heads took on a silvery light, a magical light; a chainmail luminescence that any photograph could never duplicate.

As we stared at the swaying stems they bent under the weight of tiny mouse like birds; Bearded Tits ‘chinked’ as they called to each other. Occasionally moving into the open but more often deep within the vegetation they hid among the myriad of stems. As quickly as they appeared they moved on and we were left with just the dancing reeds.

 

The Magic of Minsmere

We had a great tour to Minsmere over the border in Suffolk at the beginning of the month. Bearded Tits were showing closer than I’ve ever seen them here before and among many other highlights Red Deer put on a show for the photographers in the group.

Conversation stopper

I was talking away to someone the other day aside a small ditch and reedbed when I noticed a dark shape moving through the stems of the reeds. I quietly excused myself from the conversation and lifted my camera. Deep within the reeds, foraging for food, was a female Bearded Tit not but a metre away. There was a lot of vegetation between me and her and the camera wanted to focus on anything but what I wanted it to focus on; but I hastily took a few shots before she slipped back into the depths of the reeds never to be seen again.