Moustached Reedlings (et al) on a gloomy grey day

Bearded Tits or as I prefer to call them   Moustached Reedlings which seems more apt   !     We've headed up to Silverdale for three days break and although it's a little quieter than we used to experience, we did see a few different birds.      Still struggling with my poor eyesight as I miss many more birds than I manage to capture on camera so I don't take half as many photos as I used to and its pot luck in the end to see what I did get when I look at them on the computer screen.      I'll add a few of what I have taken yesterday and today ................

Little Egret at the salt marsh area 

on the main reserve a flock of Black-tailed Godwits came in ............. but can you see an odd one out  ?  

closer capture ......       what I think is a Knot  ?

and then the same bird landing just below the Godwits  ......

and a bit of a scruffy looking Pintail drake ......

Teal .....

Black-tailed Godwit still showing some breeding plumage .......

and now for the moustached reedlings  (or maybe we should nickname them Groucho's  )    !!!  

a look of surprise at the paparazzi   !  

Hoping to get better pics before I leave as it was too dark today with thick cloud.

and couldn't leave without posting up one of the robins;     after all the lockdowns and lack of human traffic along the pathways the regular birds are not quite as confiding as they used to be but its still nice to take a few live mealworms for these feathered friends  

  • Hi Kath, I just googled "bearded tits in south wales" and apparently they are at Newport Wetlands Reserve Some Info Here , possibly elsewhere too, but that was first one that came up... Turns out it's an RSPB reserve More info here

  • Hello Kath, as PB says, your closest area to see the Bearded Reedlings would most likely be RSPB.reserve at Newport Wetlands. Good luck and hope you get to see them as this time of year is the best when they make use of the grit trays put out for them.    

    You may find this article interesting and why some birds like Bearded Reedlings need grit.  

  • Awww fab thank you for looking for me.

    That's brilliant, I will definitely go there for a wander and look around.

    Kath
  • Kath I have a feeling that Newport Wetlands have or did have bearded reedlings.  

    Oooops, late to the party again!!!!!

  • Wonderful photos yet again, Hazel--thanks! Yep, we've heard and seen the Reedlings at Newport Wetlands--one of the very few places we have actually seen them rather than just hearing them. Are you near Newport, Kath? First saw them many years ago eating grit (they were eating grit, not us--lol!) on the path, right in front of a hide at RSPB Minsmere, and we also had a very brief glimpse of them at RSPB Rainham Marsh east of London as well as at Newport Wetlands. Cannot remember if we saw Reedlings at LM when we were there at a Forumate meet-up some time ago, Hazel, or not--sorry--mainly remember the Marsh Harriers, not forgetting your stash of meal worms and the happy little recipients of same!

    Kath, Have fun when you do go to Newport Wetlands when walking across the bouncy floating bridges!

  • Hi Ann

    I am in Barry so no I am only half hour away from Newport so will definitely venture to go and see them.

    It is only recently I have seen photos of them and seen how fascinating they look.

    Kath xx
  • You certainly must have chosen the wrong side of the country for weather Hazel we are up in Northumberland until later today and so far it has been sunglasses and peaked caps but blooming cold.