PENDULINE TIT AT AUST

 A good few weeks ago back in November after one of our days out my birding companion Steve Bool and myself dropped into a place called Aust to see if the Penduline tits that had been discovered there were still about and showing well. Steve had already seen and digiscoped them a few days previous but I had not seen them and it would have been another lifer for myself so I was a bit gutted that at that time they didn't show.

Luckily enough though the Penduline Tits have stayed at Aust and so must be overwintering there. They are a rare vagrant from Eastern Europe where birds from the South being mostly resident but the North Easterly birds are migratory and have been spreading North West in recent decades, but up to this point there's been no breeding attempts in the UK although there is a record of a male bird building a nest in the 1990's.

In Spring and Summer they prefer access to deciduous trees bordering lakeshores and rivers with thin hanging branches which are suitable for nesting, trees such as birch, willow, popular and alder are preferred but in Winter they inhabit reedbeds with reedmace and bulrush, so Aust has the perfect habitat for them. The village of Aust is located just below the English side of the old Severn Bridge in Avon, they have extensive reedbeds at two sites near the village where the Penduline Tits can be located. We arrived just as it was getting light and were there for only half an hour when eagle eyed Steve spotted them feeding amongst the reeds, they're so tiny and blend in well amongst the bulrush so locating them can be difficult. There were four birds there in total but what a rush, there they were my first Penduline Tits. Below is a couple of pics I grabbed of this tiny little vagrant.

my first penduline tits

Steve also got some superb footage with his digiscope set up, you'd never think that these vids were from a scope and a mobile phone they look so clear.

The birds took off after about ten minutes which was a bit frustrating but enough time for us to get some pictures and videos.

what a beauty

Steve with some of the birders looking for the penduline

one happy birder

For the next few hours we waited and searched both sites hoping that they would return but to no avail. The sighting we had in the morning I think was the only one of that day so we were both really glad we made the effort to get down there so early. The Penduline Tits have been seen every day since we went there giving loads of birders the chance to see this beautiful little vagrant and I'm so glad that I had the privilege to be one of them.