Bearded tit

Today's the day ........................... to swallow some grit

For all of my bird-watching life, I have wanted to see a bearded tit.

They always looked so exotic in the bird books. Although they are called tits - they are actually quite a unique songbird and not closely related to any other species in particular. Bearded reedling would be a better name - except perhaps that they have moustaches rather than beards.

The only problem is that they are pretty rare in the UK and there's not a lot of places where you can go to look for them. There are about thirty breeding pairs in the reedbeds at Leighton Moss, the only place in the North west of England that they live. They feed on reed aphids in summer - but in winter, when there are fewer insects around, they change to eating reed seeds.

If you go to Leighton Moss on a fine, calm morning between late September and the middle of December, there's a good chance that you might see them 'gritting' - taking in grit to help their digestive systems cope with the hard reed seeds. Today was such a day - and perfectly on cue - there they were.

So that's a hugely satisfying and absolutely thrilling tick on the Most Wanted list .....................