Watford + PENDULINE TIT!! - 16.4.18

Penduline Tit

The day at work started off nicely with my first Willow Warbler of the year singing at Waterfield Rec but at lunchtime I checked my phone to see a message saying there was a Penduline Tit at Tyttenhanger! My friend Steve Blake had found it but it was a bit elusive. As it was a Monday I finished work at 3pm so I shot straight over there. I parked up and on the walk to the site I added Tree Sparrow, Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail to the year list. I arrived to find Steve still there along with Brendon and Terry to be told it'd been showing well until 10 minutes ago but had flown over some trees. Luckily 2 minutes later I saw some movement and there it was feeding on a group of 4 bulrushes. For the next 10 minutes or so it gradually came closer and closer until it was around 15-20 feet away and was showing brilliantly. At times it was heard calling too. Annoyingly when I'd left for work this morning I thought about taking my scope just in case but I didn't pack it so I had to make do with just my binoculars. Because of this the photos above are quite poor as they were taken with my phone hand held through my bins! Nevertheless a 1st for Herts isn't to be sniffed at so thanks again Steve! A singing Lesser Whitethroat was seen on the way back to the car so 6 year ticks today.