Bearded Tit at King's Meads, 17th December 2021

A couple of recent visits to King's Meads revealed some great birds, including on the 17th December a stunning male Bearded Tit. A prior visit with slightly better weather allowed close sightings of a pair of Stonechat on Little Mead.

The female was not quite as obliging.

On Stockade Mead I managed to get a bit closer to one of the resident Green Woodpeckers, happily feeding away.

The start of the New River held a surprise with a surprisingly  confiding male Wigeon.

And as it's the run up to Christmas, a few Robin shots!

The male Bearded Tit had been spotted by Barry Reed a few days before and I had already been down and failed to see it. When I went down today the early sunshine had disappeared and it was quite foggy. However from the causeway I heard it calling and it flitted past about 15 metres out and I managed to get a few shots before it disappeared. It did show again later on the West Pool but further away and often low down.

Not the best light, but what a stunning bird!