Bearded Tits - Brandon Marsh

Sunday 1st November 2015

Yesterday in an attempt to gain some much needed Brownie points I took Jan to Leamington. A 20 minute crawl through the Toll Bar End junction caused a bit of cursing and muttering but we eventually got to our destination. I popped in to Brandon Marsh on the way back. It was quiet.I started with a quick look at Teal pool. Just Teal, as you might expect but then a movement in a patch of dead Reed stems to the right of the hide caught my attention. The movement was quite violent so I expected quite a large bird but was surprised when a cracking male Bearded Tit appeared in the bins followed my a female. Wow.Great views but all too soon the pair flew off right. I went into East Marsh hide and told the few folk in there what I had seen and to keep 'em peeled. I then went to check out the main reedbed. I heard a single Ting and the briefest view of pale birds flying low above the reeds but that was it. Having managed to avoid seeing Bearded tits at various locations the previous week this was payback time. I hadn't expected to see anything at Brandon so finding the tits was a particular pleasure. Pleasure slightly tinged with frustration though when I went back to East Marsh to learn that no less than 4 Bearded tits had been seen pretty well in front of the hide and one chap had even taken a decent photo. Despite a further search around there was no more sign.