A Penduline Tit’s Up

With autumn’s promise fading, a Southwold walk around Buss Creek went tits up, but in a rather pleasant way. A whistling ‘seeoou’ call from the reedbed behind the tea room immediately transported me back to Easter weekend earlier in the year when a Penduline Tit entertained at Leathes Ham, Lowestoft. This reedbed specialist can be impressively elusive, its presence only given away by the distinctive call. And so it proved.

Despite scanning the patch of reed where the incessant call emanated, I couldn’t locate its owner. Still calling, I messaged local birder Brian Small of my find despite not having clapped eyes on the tiny bulrush-plucking tit. Just as the calling crescendoed, up came the masked bandit flying past and away up Buss Creek never to be seen again. Fortunately, I secured excellent binocular views. The location and constant calling is typical of a newly-arrived migrant. Early November being the peak time for its decidedly infrequent visits from continental swamps and river valleys.

The Penduline Tit photographed below is the Easter weekend Leathes Ham bird. I was too slow to photograph my flying Southwold Penduline.