BEARDED TIT RETURNS

Managed to cram a quick half hour visit at the end of Wednesday 8th, to the small pool on the north side of the Island at Reeveshall. Although it was high tide and no mud was visible along the Pyefleet Channel it turned out to be a productive visit. Just watching the sun setting leaving its red reflection across the pool made it a worthwhile walk. Lots of birds on the pool could be seen in silhouette but the fading light made their identification tricky.

A small wader flock gathered on the nearby saltmarsh waiting for the tide to recede. Up to 50 black-tailed godwits, 30 lapwing, 50 redshank were seen and at least one avocet called out. Some waders flew onto the pool where two green sandpipers, spotted redshank, four teal, three gadwall and a mute swan fed.

On the Pyefleet Channel around 300 black-headed gulls bobbed on the high tide waiting for the mud to appear. Five common sandpipers flew past while on Langenhoe Ranges opposite, two marsh harriers were just seen flying in the fading light.

There was no sign of the little ringed plover or whinchat that Martin Cock had seen the previous day here.

The big excitement on the short walk was in this postage-sized clump of reeds near the seawall(pictured above), just north of Shop Lane. The distinctive "ping-ping" calls of a bearded tit were heard coming from the reeds as I approached. Within a minute of waiting I caught a glimpse of the little sandy coloured bird with its long tail, flying over the tops of the reeds. It appeared as if it wanted to fly further along the borrow-dyke but changed its mind when it realised there were no more reeds to hide in. It kept up the pinging calls which made it easy to locate in the thick reeds and it soon reappeared for another short flight. I left it calling from inside the reeds where it stayed out of sight.

It is only a month or so since a pair of bearded tits were seen taking food into a clump of reeds further along the seawall at Maydays Farm, in West Mersea parish. It is almost twenty years since a bearded tit has been seen in East Mersea parish, after the small original population fell victim to a severe winter in 1987. Up until that time a small group of four or five pairs bred at Reeveshall along a private fleet. I watched a small family flock in almost the same reeds on once occasion twenty years ago and each time I have walked past over the years, I have wondered if the birds will ever return. Today one bearded tit did return and it was great to see.

Earlier in the day, a little owl and a turtle dove called near to Bromans Lane. In the park the large numbers of painted ladies continued to fly around the park in the sunshine. It was interesting watching the reaction of visitors passing the buddliea bush, as it exploded into life with at least thirty painted ladies rising into the air together.