Saturday 16 February 2013

Penduline Tit Stodmarsh and a Pied Billed Grebe dilemma

Penduline Tit
Penduline Tit Stodmarsh
I set off this morning as planned all week to see the Penduline Tit at  Stodmarsh. I had vowed to get down there if it was seen on the Friday but what I didn't bank on was the Pied Billed Grebe being posted on Friday night as a possible sighting in Somerset. On arrival at Stodmarsh we quickly located the Penduline Tit (167) feeding on mace and the pager then bleeps to confirm the possible Pied Billed Grebe has been re found and confirmed. Checking the route it's just too far to allow me to get home at the promised hour so it's going to have to wait for another day. We enjoyed good views of the Penduline Tit a couple of times for several minutes and were quickly joined by a small group of birders. We tried for Treecreeper but failed so we moved on to the nearby Oare Marsh where there were lot's of waders and ducks about but nothing of much note.
Our next stop was Cliffe Pools as we made our way back up the A2 towards home. Here I located a Greenshank (168) and the place was alive with ducks and waders with Wigeon being present in the largest numbers but the volume of Little Grebes was surprising as I counted over 40. Last stop of the day was Littlebrook where a wintering Slavonian Grebe has been staying on a small pool by the power station for a few weeks now. We should have visited this site earlier but on arrival we had the pool and bird to ourselves so sometimes it pays to wait. The weather wasn't particularly kind with grey skies as I tried to catch a photograph of the bird but I think under the conditions we faced I did get a few half decent record shots.

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe
Slav

Slav

Now will that Pied Billed Grebe stick around for me to find time to make the 3 hour journey to break my 2 hour rule and try to connect with it?  Here's hoping!

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