A Stodmarsh Penduline Tit. 14/02/13

I spent Thursday afternoon at the Stodmarsh reserve, along the boardwalk through the Alder wood, where I had great views (if somewhat distant) of a Penduline Tit that was busy feeding on the reed mace that is abundant in this part of the reserve. It remained a little too far out from my vantage point for any decent photos and it was a job threading the focus beam through the reed stems but I managed a few distant shots of the bird. I noted the paleness of the bird and it is nothing like the bird I saw on the 8th January down by the Tower hide and wonder if this is a female bird ???. I also saw three Common Buzzards overhead, spiralling of towards the North, two Cettis Warblers were flicking about in the reed bed, a Water Rail squealed but remained unseen, 20+ Bewick Swans flew West over the main lake and several Siskin’s and Redpolls were feeding high up in the Alders.