The Watchers

The forecast for this morning looked good, so I made sure I was up early, and headed the two or so miles to the Causeway at Leighton Moss, arriving at around 7.15am. I joined a little group who had placed themselves near the grit tray station in the hope of seeing the elusive bearded tits.

Bearded tits are misnamed, not being members of the tit family. They sit in an entirely separate family of their own, and it is probably better to call them bearded reedlings (the old Norfolk name). They are secretive birds of large, dense reedbeds. Insect eaters, they change to seed eating in autumn through winter, but in order to eat seed need to swallow grit to help with the digestion process. Which is why, in the early morning on still days, the grit trays positioned near reeds by the RSPB become a focus for the birds, and by those who want to catch sight of them.

Up until 9am there was no sighting of the birds. But it was an enjoyable wait. The early morning light was fantastic. Cetti’s warblers were very active. Thirteen noisy whooper swans arrived and left. I had my first ever sightings of the secretive water rail (which I’ve often heard). A marsh harrier paid a visit. And then at 9am, three bearded tits arrived, ignoring the grit trays but dancing through the reeds (extra).

I then headed back to my caravan to await the arrival of P. A and Bertie. They were prompter than I’d expected, so it was a mid morning excursion to Morecambe. A few extras added