UKH

Bearded tits.  

Grey plover 

Marsh Harrier. 

Some crackers in there. 

Love a marsh harrier!

Wow, stunning photos.

B Tits are one species I would like to see and photo; maybe one day I’ll be lucky. Not yet seen G Plover this autumn yet, but did see Sanderlings are back (Outhead).

For folks info, B tits = timing. From about end September and into November, they switch diets from insects to seeds. They need to ‘eat grit’ to digest the seeds until their digestive system has got used to it, so they come to to ‘feed’ in bird tables full of grit. Stunning birds. 

I don’t think it’s a secret that the grit trays are out at Leighton Moss at the moment.

As Rog Wilko has implied - I presume these Bearded Reedlings are at Leighton Moss.

Was in Anglesey at the weekend - spent about 10 minutes trying to decide whether something was a Grey Plover or a lone Knot in winter plumage. Eventually managed to confirm GP by bill length head size and size of eye within the head but I've not seen nearly enough of these to be able to tell straightaway from the jizz.

And the lone Dunlin in winter plumage amongst a group of Ringed Plover took ages because it wouldn't take its bill out from under its wing for a long time. Plenty of Golden Plover flying over and landing in a grassy field. Great views of Chough at South Stack, playing in the wind but also feeding at the edge of the cliff in easy view. Plenty of Common Scoter yesterday at distance from the shore - didn't see any Velvet but of course if they didn't flap their wings...

Bonus was as light was failing yesterday and I was packing the car, heard an owl but thought nothing of it. Then realised that the silhouette of the power pole across the road was wrong, Tawny Owl sat on it, got the bins out and got within a few meters before it decided to go elsewhere - first Tawny I've seen for years.

thanks for sharing your pictures. Enjoyed seeing them

Great stuff. I’m lucky with owls, and know where they hang out. It’ll soon be time to re-start my barn owl photograph obsession ! 

Should be up north for a good few days next week, coinciding with some bad weather (= good birds) and lots of ‘dad taxiing’ (= little time to birdwatch). 

Plenty of reports of hen harriers and Merlin from Southport and Ribble marshes - I believe they had a good breeding season and hopefully less persecution than normal ?  

The bearded reedlings (much nicer name, I agree Michael   are very photogenic. Hardly see them most of the year, but their ‘pingy’ call is quite noticeable. 

Fantastic pics, thanks!

At Leighton Moss yesterday

Excellent, I've seen those grit trays, but not with Bearded Reedlings on them ☹️

Don't think I've seen any since maybe the 70's down Norfolk way.

I recognise one of these stems of reed !

Lovely, a truly beautiful bird. And real treat to see and listen to them up close. 

It’s always strange to me that such normally secretive birds are quite happy to have an audience of 20 people (as there were on Monday) , some with noisy cameras standing about 5 metres away.

I did a bit of taxonomic research on them the other day. They apparently are of the genus Panurus. So definitely not tits.  There seems to be disagreement on this, however, as some search results puts the reedlings in the family Panuridae which is then described as monotypic ie containing but one genus, in this case the reedlings. So very exclusive!