A quick visit to Wallingford this morning and stopped off at Bow Bridge on the way back. Shortly after arriving I heard a commotion in the trees with Long-tailed Tit alarm calls as well as others so I guessed there may have been a Sparrowhawk around.
I decided to scan thru the flock that was estimated about 40 strong in total and came across a Marsh Tit flitting about in the trees. There may have been a second one but cannot be sure.
Also with the flock were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and a single Chiffchaff.
After a time they moved deeper into the wood and I lost sight of them.
Marsh Tit is a very scarce visitor in Cholsey these days from across the river. They used to breed in the 80’s at Bow Bridge but not any more unfortunately.
As far as I am aware this is the first record since one in 2016.
A look along the river afterwards found several Cormorant, a Little Grebe and a Kingfisher.
Alan noted a Barn Owl late afternoon north east of the village.
Didn’t get a photo of the Marsh Tit today but have included one taken last year at the Warburg reserve.
I reckon there are only single figures of sites in South Oxon that have Marsh Tit at any time of year, let alone breeding. There were at least three sites within a couple of miles of Wantage where they bred as recently as the early 2000s, but no longer. An absolutely shocking decline....
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