31st October - Titchfield Haven NNR, Hampshire

Another Saturday and another horrendous weather forecast, high winds and heavy rain to pass though mid morning, but hopefully clearing up in the afternoon.  Reports in the week had us arranging to meet at the top of the Titchfield Canal Path just before dawn.  As we walked down the path alongside the canal the sky was a blaze with colour as the sun lit up the clouds from below the horizon.  

Woodpigeons flew across the sky, one settling on the top of a leafless tree lit up by the dawn sunshine.

As the clouds moved in the very brisk winds the amount of gaps in the clouds sent shafts of light across the sky.

Why were we here this time?  Well, mid week a Yellow-browed Warbler was found just to the south of the Posbrook Bridge, it was rather elusive and not that vocal apparently so we were going to have our work cut out to find it.  Of course it could have moved on, but with the weather being so bad last week I felt a little more confident it would still be about.

On reaching the bridge we could hear Long-tailed Tits and I thought the distinctive "tsoeest" of the Yellow-browed Warbler in amongst them.  It was just once, but enough to raise our hopes.  We waited but there were no more calls, so wandered down the path to a tree stretching across the canal, a spot where it had been seen on a more regular basis.

Looking at the trees Ian picked up a Treecreeper hacking away at the dead wood inside the bough of a tree that had recently broken.  All I could see was the upper body as it used its fine curved bill to tease the rotting wood away in the hope of finding some insects.

The sun was now up and was sending some lovely golden light into the trees that line the path here.

The fallen leaves producing a ruddy brown carpet.

Through the tangle of branches and trees in front of us we could hear the contact calls of Long-tailed Tits and Blue and Great Tits, but more encouragingly, every so often that slightly different, but distinctive call of the Yellow-browed Warbler.  

The sun was lighting up a patch of leaves and branches and into this birds started to appear.  Great Tits at first , then a couple of Blue Tits.  We picked them out eagerly only to be disappointed when the identification proved to not be what we hoped for.  A Goldcrest appeared and then the Treecreeper again, something we didn't expect to see in the thin wirey branches of the hawthorn bush.  The birds moving about quickly, darting at the leaves as they searched for insects and small spiders. What with the leaves moving in the wind and the feeding tits the binoculars moved quickly through the branches.

Then Ian called that he thought he had got on to the warbler, I frantically followed his directions and picked up on a dull olive green bird, small and with the hint of a wing bar, then it was gone.  At this point it was better to watch the trree for movement and then get on the space with the bins. Very quickly I found it again and this time got great views, the yellow eye stripe and the two wing bars.  It was slightly bigger than the Goldcrest that had been about, but smaller than the Chiffchaff that appeared in the same tree.  

The next challenge was to try and get a photograph, but this became very difficult as the bird was mobile, take the bins off it, locate the bird, bring up the camera, lose the bird.  we watched and waited and then the birds were all gone, this seemingly coinciding with the sun disappearing as the clouds rolled in from the south.

We wanted to try and get a photograph so decided to stay and wait for the bird to return, the thought was that the flock make a circuit of the area.  A little bit of light highlighted a Moorhen crossing the path, to get to the other side?

Every so often the Yellow-browed Warbler would call, but the flock never appeared.  Other birders arrived and we all stood wandering up and down the path, listening and staring at the bushes and trees.  A call would raise the spirits, only to be frustrated when it went silent again.  Over on the Posbrook Floods a large flock of Canada Geese were constantly calling and every so often a group would fly off.  The sun returned and silhouetted the geese that remained on the floods.

The wind was picking up and there were signs of drizzle coming up the Meon Valley.  We had booked to go to the reserve at 9:30, we had seen the warbler well, but just didn't get the photograph I craved, happy with the view though we decided it was time to move on, we wanted to get onto the reserve before the wind and rain arrived.  As we left a group of Pintail, mostly drakes was on the floods.

On arriving at the sea wall at Hill Head we parked close to the end on the beach, high tide was at 11:30, two hours away but already with the south wind the sea was crashing over the wall a little further along, we knew the cars would get spray, we just wanted to avoid the green algae that welds itself to the cars!

The walk to the visitor centre was in driving rain and strong wind, the main task being to avoid the sea as it crashed over the wall.  Coming back was even worse and I was soaked on more than one occasion. On Friday there had been a call to say that the reserve may have to close due to the forecast winds, but for now all was good.  We made our way around to the Spurgin Hide on the west side.  From mid week five Penduline Tits had been reported from here, and they had been present and seen since if a little distant.  On entering the hide two others were present, we found some space and started to stare at the reedmace in front of the hide.  The rain had eased but the wind was very strong, the reeds at times blowing horizontally.

The call came from one of the other birders just after 10:15 that one of the Penduline Tits was on the reedmace head close to the hide.  We struggled to find it, but eventually we could see this small bird clinging to the seed head and being whipped about in the wind despite being in the lee.

It was an immature bird, lacking the distinctive dark face mask of the adult, it clung to the stem, the legs splayed out Bearded Tit like as the stem was whipped back and forth by the wind

This photograph gives some idea of the conditions this little bird was facing as it searched the seed head for food.

Then it dropped from the seed head and into the reed bed, out of sight.  After this came the rain, and even stronger winds, we sat watching the reed bed as Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall zipped past, and the fought their way back into the wind.  A group of Shoveler could be seen on the water, one drake coming close to the hide and giving me the opportunity to use the camera.

Then amidst the rain and wind an adult bird appeared in the reed bed beyond the one close to the hide.  The views were distant but you could see the black eye mask before it gave up and sheltered once again.  We sat studying the radar on the phone to try and determine when the rain would ease.  The afternoon was forecast to be clear and sunny, we just had to get past the storm.  Predictions were set on 12:30 for the improvement and this is what happened, the rain eased and also the wind, a little.  By 13:00 there were signs that the sun would come out and a little later we were looking out at a scene such as this.

The first sighting had been in the clump of reedmace closest to us, then an adult appeared on the seed heads in the clump just beyond it.

Distant views but I was able to get some record shots as it fed at the top of the seed heads. 

There were two birds, both adults and thankfully they then flew from the distant reed bed to the one just in front of the hide.  The conditions were still challenging, yes the wind had eased but it was still sufficiently strong enough to constantly move the reeds and reedmace about, which meant the birds were either obscured or blurred as they moved at the last minute, it was just a case of shooting and hoping.

It was difficult to ascertain how many birds at first, but there were at least two adult birds with a face mask (very appropriate these days!).

Penduline tits are not true tits of the family Paridae but are vaguely similar in appearance and share their namesakes' agile foraging habits. Their common name comes from their gourd-like nests that hang like pendulums from trees. 

Every so often you would lose them but it was possible to locate them as the pulled the seed head apart and lumps of seed could be seen blowing away in the wind.  I thought it was the seeds they were after but apparently they forage in the seed head for small insects and spiders.

Not true Tits they are members of the Remiz genus, they are found in Europe, Asia and Africa, with one species in North America.  These are the Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus) and they are the only family representative found in Britain and Ireland, and then only as a vagrant.

Outside of the United Kingdom the Penduline Tit has a large range, estimated at 1-10 million square kilometres and a population estimated at 420,000–840,000 individuals in Europe alone, and there is evidence that the population is increasing. 

Then an immature bird appeared, as with the first bird we saw this individual lacks the face mask of the adults and was probably the same bird seen earlier.

An inhabitant of the wooded borders of marshes where it builds distinctive pouch-shaped nests, often over water. Sharp and pointed bill, rusty-brown back, and black mask (narrow in the female) make it look like a miniature shrike. Juvenile uniform brown and lacks the mask. 

This one I think shows a broader mask which could mean it is a male, hard to be sure though as in the changing light the mask can appear different.

The Penduline Tit might be small, but in its way it has an effect on its immediate surroundings. You can tell when Penduline Tits are in an area, not by seeing the birds, but by seeing the results of their handiwork – nests will hang from branches everywhere.

The social organisation of the Penduline Tit revolves around these amazing structures. They are made up entirely of plant fibres and down, and hang suspended from the end of a branch of a tree or thicket, usually one to ten metres above the water. They are domed in shape but have a downward-facing tube-like extension on one side, near the top, which acts as the entrance lobby. When constructing the nest, the builders begin by attaching a strong loop of plant fibre underneath the branch tip, and then build out the sides. Plant fibres used include those of nettles and grass, and they are compacted into shape by plant down, giving the overall structure a felt-like feel. More plant down is stuffed inside.

One of the birds came to the top of the reedmace and showed very well.

Back to the social way s of the Penduline Tit, the act of making a nest is the only time when the relationship between male and female Penduline Tits is sustained. They build nests together – often with one working on the outside and the other on the interior – and that’s about it, a two-week fling. They don’t co-operate in bringing up the young, but one or the other takes sole charge. Who it is depends on the bewildering sexual politics of the species.

Males are sometimes polygynous, each with several mates with whom they share nest building and mate; the most successful male birds, the ones that attract most females to their partially completed nests, are those whose structures are least infested with parasites such as mites. 

The females are regularly polyandrous, building with and then copulating with a succession of relatively “clean” males. There are records, for example, of female Penduline Tits having six partners in a season, with each whom they will build a nest, and for whom they might lay a clutch of eggs to incubate. Other females incubate their first clutch themselves and stick to having one partner, notwithstanding the fact that the partner himself may be building a nest with another female at the same time. Few birds have such a convoluted breeding system.

This sheds some doubt on these adults being male and female, more like two females.

This gives some idea of the conditions we were working with, plenty of good autumnal light but still the brisk wind

This pose reminds me of a Meerkat!

The immature bird taking advantage of a "blown up" seed head

Losing some of the sunshine helped with the exposure as this bird posed nicely on the seed heads

Then a more purposeful look as it reached the to spike of a seed head

And from there it took off and flew high away from us, it was joined by another and we watched the two of them fly across the pond and out over the reed bed at the back.  The third bird was not seen again despite the fact that it never flew off with the adults.

It was now just after 14:00, we had been privileged to have such great views and it was well worth sticking the bad weather out for.  As we sat taking this all in, as is usually the case when bad weather passes through the birds started to wake up and the best of all was the appearance of a male and female Marsh Harrier.  The female first being chased by a flockof Jackdaw.

It finally lost them or the Jackdaw just got bored and the marsh Harrier drifted away to wards the canal path.

Then the male appeared coming low over the reeds at the back of the pond.  At first being pursued by crows but then managed to shake them off, actively hunting it would stop and hover with legs dangling over the reeds and looking down.

But as it came up above the trees it was easy pickings for the crows once again and it had to get away.

Hunger was the reason we finally left the hide around 14:30.  It was like returning to a different world, the sky was a clear deep blue, not a cloud in sight.  There was still a wind but the sea now was well away from the beach and there were kite surfers and people walking dogs along the beach, all in all a beautiful afternoon.

After finishing off the sandwiches we set off along the beach towards Chilling Cliffs, at the water's edge a group of Sanderling were feeding in amongst the Black-headed Gulls.

A little further along two were on their own in much better light.

We reached the gap between Brownwich and Chilling Cliffs and climbed up and headed back along Brownwich Cliffs.  A scan of the sea found the reported Great Northern Diver.  Here some idea of the scene as it wing flapped.

Here a little closer.

And so a day that threatened to ba complete wash out really came good.  The last time I saw Penduline Tit was way back in the early nineties when I was living in Essex.  Ironically I saw them at Farlington.  It was a shame we couldn't get that picture of the Yellow-browed Warbler but the views were great.  I would have bitten your arm off for this on Friday afternoon when everything looked doomed.  Now we all have to contend with is Lockdown 2.0 :-(