No bearded tits just a bearded tit Tuesday October 20th 2015

Lovely sunny day excitedly set off for Fairburn optimistically hoping I may see the grey back shrike reported on Twitter or the well publicised bearded tits around Big Hole. However there was nil chance of seeing bearded tits or anything else at Big Hole. I could not believe my eyes as a man wielding a long lens camera was actually in the reeds at the back of Big Hole,as he blundered around he flushed several snipe and sandpipers and put the gulls and lapwings into the air too. I find it hard to credit that anyone is so stupid and selfish to think they would get a picture in that manner. This is a Nature Reserve where the birds and wildlife should come first!! There is every chance the bearded tits are now gone for good thanks to his antics,I was so angry I had to avoid him or i may well have regretted my actions! So if you are the ignorant oaf dressed in a brown coat, with glasses and facial hair and a long lens camera getting far to close to the reeds around 10:30AM today learn to respect the wildlife and NOT to disturb it for your own amusement. Heaven forbid you are actually an RSPB member because if you are you should be thoroughly ashamed of your greedy, selfish, destructive behaviour. One high point after this episode was being able to observe our resident bittern put in a short flight up the shore edge on the slurry ponds.Green woodpeckers, little egrets, jays,and even a flock of redwings flew overhead. Every day has its silver lining! Never saw the shrike though maybe another day if its not chased off by the ignorant and selfish.