GRC Blog


Welcome to the GRC Recorders pages. This blog provides details on all the relevant news of Glamorgan’s scarcer birds, plus all BBRC & WRP decisions that affect us locally. It will also be used to document the status and occurrence of these scarcer species and we welcome contributions from anyone with photographs, artwork or documentation of rarities past, present and future. The GRC also welcomes all seawatching news from around Glamorgan and news of passage migrants in spring & autumn, uncommon birds in our area and unusual behaviour.


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The Glamorgan Rarities Committee, in conjunction with the Glamorgan Bird Club & Gower Wildlife , have agreed to co-operate with the Welsh Ornithological Society in the sharing of bird records & photographs in the interest of keeping accurate records and to promote birdwatching in North, Mid & South Wales.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Nelson Bog : Willow or Marsh Tit

Richard Smith and myself visited the site last Friday and saw and definitely heard Willow Tit,Richard posted a photo he took on GBC blog.
Myself and Peter Morgan returned there on Sunday as we both wanted to try and photograph Willow Tit and I posted the three photos below on SWB blog which has caused something of a debate as to whether the bird feeding on the handrail is in fact Willow or Marsh Tit.
Despite the more common tits,Robins and Nuthatches being quite vocal we did not hear either Willow or Marsh Tit on Sunday when two birds were present.
The site has become something of a "hot-spot" for Willow Tit but that is not to say that Marsh Tit is not also present.











2 comments:

Barry Stewart said...

If it wasn't for the hint of a pale patch below the nostrils on the upper mandible I'd say this was a Willow Tit without much hesitation. Assuming these are all the same bird (which it looks like is the case as gtr coverts have same displacement), what is most interesting is how different the bird appears in different lighting. In the lower photo, it looks classic Willow, but the upper two look less convincing. Without hearing the call I'm not sure it's possible to say with 100% certainty this is a Willow, but that's what it looks like to me:
1. I think the pale bill mark may just be light falling on a part of the bill that splays and hence lies flatter creating some contrast as it reflects more sky light (certainly no sign of a clear whitish triangle).
2. uniform ear covert/neck sides
3. very strong wing panel
4. apparent warm buff suffusion
Jeff, the next time you go photographing marsh/willow tits, I suggest you take a tape recorder with you!

Jeff said...

Barry-the lens is heavy enough,I couldn't carry any more !!