Around Staffordshire :: 11 February 2026

Kev @kev07713 was still working hard on his last job before he retires, and was probably ready for a day off and could also have a rest from his daily drive as it was my turn - the only question was where to go. With yet another spell of wet weather to contend with, we had to choose carefully, and in the end, we decided to go looking for willow tits before journeying on to Mow Cop in Staffordshire for the long-staying shore lark.

We agreed on a later start than usual, setting off at 6.30am and heading north via the A46 and M69 before joining the M1. Before long, however, we ran into trouble: collisions ahead meant delays of an extra 20–30 minutes. With that in mind, we pulled off at the next services a few miles up the road, deciding that breakfast would be a better use of our time while the traffic hopefully eased. Once fed, we set off again, initially crawling along until things gradually began to clear. Eventually we passed the accident, now confined to the inside lane and hard shoulder, and were able to make steadier progress.

We continued on to our chosen site, hopeful of connecting with willow tit. The species has declined dramatically over recent decades, with population drops of well over 90% in parts of England and Wales. They have disappeared from large areas of their former range and are now largely confined to fragmented strongholds in northern England, parts of the Midlands, and a few scattered pockets elsewhere. Even within these areas they can be extremely local and often quiet outside the breeding season. Spring is typically the best time to look for them, when birds are more vocal and territorial, though late winter can also offer opportunities as natural food supplies dwindle and they begin venturing out from woodland in search of supplementary feeding sources.

We entered the hide to find we had it entirely to ourselves, which meant we could arrange the seating just as we liked, ensuring we both had clear views of the feeding trays and hanging feeders maintained by the reserve. A steady soundtrack of calling birds drifted in as various species arrived, taking full advantage of the bounty on offer, including some seed that Kev had brought.

Once we’d settled, birds began dropping into the three feeding areas to the left of the hide, each at a different distance. One was a little too close for comfort, another felt just about right (slightly farther out but probably ideal), and the third was larger yet more distant, better suited to viewing through binoculars than photography, though perfectly adequate for watching the comings and goings.

We were prepared for a bit of a wait and were more than content to enjoy the steady stream of other birds visiting the feeders. great, blue, long-tailed, and coal tits came and went, alongside blackbirds, chaffinches, dunnocks, house sparrows and robins. Overhead, siskins called from the treetops, their presence betrayed by sound alone as they stubbornly refused to descend into view.

We saw movement at the foot of the middle feeder and could see what we originally assumed would be a mouse but turned out to be a bank vole - another small rodent skurried in the grass between us and the feeding trays but we didn't ever get eyes on it for an ID. Bank voles are one of the most widespread and familiar small mammals in the UK, though more often heard rustling than actually seen. They favour woodland, scrub, hedgerows and rough grassland where dense cover offers protection. With their warm chestnut-brown upperparts, soft greyish flanks and blunt, rounded features, they have a rather endearing look and quite different from the larger-eyed, longer-tailed wood mouse that often shares the same habitat.

Unlike some small mammals, bank voles do not hibernate, and winter is a test of endurance rather than escape. They remain active throughout the colder months, moving along networks of shallow runways hidden beneath leaf litter, fallen branches or a protective layer of snow. Food, of course, becomes harder to come by. Autumn caches of seeds and nuts can be crucial, and their diet shifts towards whatever remains available: beech mast, acorns, fungi, roots and the occasional green shoot. Around well-managed reserves they quickly learn to take advantage of the bounty beneath feeding stations, darting out to gather fallen sunflower hearts or fragments of peanut before vanishing back into cover.

For the patient observer, though, winter offers the best chance of a sighting. Hunger can make them a little bolder, and at quiet hides they sometimes grow accustomed to the rhythm of human presence. Watch the ground beneath a busy tit flock and you may notice a small reddish shape materialise, whiskers twitching, pausing only briefly before collecting a prize and retreating along its secret pathways. In the stillness of a cold woodland winter’s day, those fleeting encounters can be every bit as rewarding as the birds above.

Still scanning through our binoculars, I picked up a bird in the tree beside the furthest feeding station and instantly recognised it as a willow tit - result. I alerted Kev and within seconds it slipped away into the hedge and trees to our left, vanishing as quietly as it had appeared.

A few minutes later it made its first brief visit to the table, in and out in a flash. Another shortish wait brought it back, this time offering a chance for a photograph, a pattern that continued over the next half hour or so, each appearance fleeting but enough to keep us thoroughly engaged.

Then the rhythm changed with the gaps between visits seeming to shorten noticeably and Kev suggested we might now be watching two birds rather than one. Sure enough, after another ten or fifteen minutes, we had confirmation: two willow tits together on the table at the same time, a quietly satisfying moment after the long wait. On a couple of occasions, we were also treated to views of them in the surrounding hedges, perched naturally and clearly enough for us to attempt a few more pleasing photographs, far preferable than the shots taken on the feeder table.

Outside, the rain poured relentlessly, making us very grateful for the shelter of the hide - inevitably, though, we would have to return to the car. Eventually the downpour eased just enough for us to make a dash, reaching the car without getting completely soaked.

We entered details for the car park suggested on BirdGuides into the SatNav and made our way to Mow Cop in search of the long-staying shore lark, first reported there on 16 January. Shore lark is a striking winter visitor to the UK, but it is rarely seen away from coastal habitats. Typically, a passage migrant from Scandinavia, it is most often found along the east coast on saltmarshes, shingle beaches, and open coastal flats; inland sightings are comparatively rare.

While a few shore larks do appear inland in some winters, they usually turn up as scattered vagrants or passage visitors, rarely staying long in one place. This bird’s loyalty to the same field for several weeks, foraging in rough grass and churned mud, makes it a particularly appealing and accessible target for birders.

We got out the car and made our way to the last sighting location, passing a birder coming the other way. Recent reports indicated the bird had been viewed in fields along the wall by the Gritstone Trail near the Old Man O’Mow, a muddy cow‑field. He confirmed that the bird was still showing but could be a little tinker in first locating it - he had posted his latest sighting on BirdGuides but it hadn't yet been updated on the app. We reached the area and immediately came across meadow pipits and skylarks flitting about the area, some of the skylarks chasing one another around. There was a light drizzle starting when after ten minutes or so Kev spotted the shore lark along the edge of muddy tractor tracks and called me back from where I was looking: where the last pin-drop had been advised.

Shore larks are small birds with a striking appearance, their most distinctive feature being a bright yellow face and throat, sharply contrasted with a black bib and mask, a high‑contrast look that stands out even at a distance. The upperparts are sandy brown streaked with darker tones, while the underparts are pale, and a faint pale stripe runs along the wing. In flight, the white wing panels are noticeable against the brown body. They feed on seeds and insects, often running along the ground in short bursts rather than hopping or perching in vegetation.

We watched as the bird worked along the edge of the broken earth along the tractor track and then across it, getting closer and closer. We snapped away with our cameras and rain started to fall, getting heavier. The lark took to the air and flew left and back along the field towards the village. Kev eventually relocated it before we decided to retire back to the car, getting soaked as we went.

We plotted our route home but opted for a route that allowed for a detour past Whitemoor Haye, hoping to catch a merlin if the weather had improved, and as I’d seen there a couple of weeks earlier. The drive was smooth, and we arrived on the lane under broken skies with no rain.

We parked and made our way to the spot I’d used before, and almost immediately we spotted a Slavonian grebe on the water. Turning back to scan the likely field, we couldn’t see anything of note at first. Soon, a raptor shot across the far side of the field and through the trees, and Kev later picked out a sparrowhawk perched on the lowest rung of a distant fence in the same area. Noting that the recently cut hedge was a little too tall to give him a good view, Kev decided to head back toward the car, where a raised track should provide a clearer vantage over the field.

We scanned the area, picking out numerous mute swans along with several Egyptian, Canada, and greylag geese, but there was no sign of our target bird. Continuing along the track, we enjoyed varied views across the fields. Soon, Kev stopped again as the hedge line had grown too tall, restricting his view, so he returned to the raised section for a better vantage. I carried on down the track, still able to see over the vegetation.

After a hundred yards or so, passing close to some low trees and bushes, a sudden movement flushed a bird from cover. Out it shot - a woodcock, dashing across the water and disappearing behind the raised banks and grasses on the far side; a very nice sight, if all too brief.

The track turned right and I stopped to look out to where several hares were crouched, and crows were scattered across the field. One crow caught my attention as it hopped and pecked around a hare - the hare didn't appreciate the attention and spun round to face the crow as it circled. I'm really not sure what was happening. Perhaps likely it wasn't predation on a healthy adult hare but more probable it was a crow investigating or probing a possible food opportunity, combined with natural curiosity or play.

I made my way back to where Kev was now stationed, and we were joined by a local birder who had returned from Derbyshire, where he’d been trying to connect with Tundra bean geese associating with white-fronted geese. He mentioned that partridges had been reported in the field recently - the first greys seen here for several years. We searched carefully but came up empty, and I hadn’t seen any on my previous visit either. As time passed without any further sightings of note, we eventually made our way home, arriving home a little later than planned but content with our outing, again despite the weather.

Year list: 162.

RSPB Middleton Lakes & Casington Water :: 01 March 2025

The weather was forecast to be sunny, though it would start off cold, making it an ideal opportunity to try for a lesser spotted woodpecker at RSPB Middleton Lakes, where sightings had been reported throughout the week. Kev @kev07713 and I debated whether to visit for the bird first or grab breakfast, but in the end, we decided to eat on the way and arrived in the car park around 7.30am. A dozen or so birders were already gathered and we joined them, waiting for and hoping the woodpecker would visit one of its favourite trees.

The lesser spotted woodpecker is the smallest (about the size of a sparrow) and least common of the three woodpecker species resident in Britain. Over recent decades, its population has experienced significant declines. The BTO reports an 81% decrease in breeding pairs between 1997 and 2022, with current estimates around 600 pairs while The Woodland Trust estimates a decline of 83% since 1970, suggesting no more than 2,000 pairs remain. This decline has led to the species being classified as 'Red' under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Several factors contribute to this decline, including the loss of ancient and mature woodland, removal of dead and rotting wood, and potential competition from the increasing great spotted woodpecker population.

This species typically has black and white plumage with distinctive horizontal barring on the back - males have a bright red crown, while females have a black-and-white head without red. The undersides are pale white or buff-coloured with faint streaks. It is a shy and elusive bird, often hard to spot as it moves among tree branches, feeding on insects, spiders, and larvae, pecking at dead wood to extract food. They are often high in the canopy, making it hard to locate the bird.

Drumming is one of the key signals, fast and high-pitched compared to other woodpeckers - typically in short bursts, consisting of up to 15–20 strikes. It is heard mainly in early spring (March–April), when males and females drum to establish territories and attract mates. Unlike in many woodpecker species where only males drum, both male and female do, the females in slightly shorter bursts, often lasting less than a second - softer and quieter, making it harder to detect in dense woodland.

We continued to wait, listening to the drumming of a great spotted woodpecker. After about 30 minutes, we finally heard the distinctive drumming of a lesser spotted woodpecker. Excitement grew as everyone scanned the trees, and sure enough, a few birders near the favoured tree spotted it as it dropped in. We gathered around them, but it wasn’t until the bird relocated to the next tree that I caught my first, albeit brief, glimpse.

As it moved into better view, we watched closely, following it as it relocated again to a tree further to the right. It was showing well, and the views through the scope were excellent. However, given the bird’s tiny size, the distance, the early morning light (now around 8:00 AM), and its position high in the tree, capturing frame filling photos was not possible. Fortunately, Kev managed to record the moment on video - videos here.

Some birders were having trouble spotting it, so I helped direct them to its location and set up my scope to give a few birders standing beside me a closer view.

A second lesser spotted drummed off to our right but we concentrated on the first bird until it departed over and behind, eventually disappearing from view. We took this as our prompt to pack up and make for another site to add to our year list and catch up with a few more nice birds.

On the way we stopped for willow tit as they are a bird that we are unlikely to come across just by chance - they've faced serious population declines in the UK. We had to wait for about half an hour, but we were graced by a single individual coming down to feed. The best way to identify them is hearing their harsh "tchay-tchay" call, but ours didn't make a sound. We watched a second visit as it then flew off and into some scrub - it was easy to watch but the view was interrupted by twigs. From time-to-time coal tits would pass through, raising our attention - they are lovely to see but not what we were waiting for.

We then headed to Carsington Water, where a red-throated diver, great northern diver, scaup, and a female ring-necked duck had all been reported. Upon arrival, we met up with our friends Adrian, Bryan, and Mark, who had also chosen the same location. Together, we thoroughly scanned the water, hoping to spot some of our target birds.

First up was the red-throated diver, far across on the opposite bank. It dived frequently, making it easy to lose track of as it resurfaced a considerable distance away. However, through the scopes, we all managed to get a good look at it.

Kev and I had already managed to see the great northern diver but soon we were all on it when Mark called it out in front of us. We snapped off some photos but at distance they wouldn't be anything but record shots - at one point the bird surfaced with a fish it had caught. It would be nice to get closer to some of these birds this year as all my diver sightings have been distant - there is time and hopefully I can get some better views.

Two down, and two to go. We continued scanning the water along the main reservoir promenade, but after a while, Adrian, Bryan, and Mark decided to take a break at the café. Kev and I skipped that and headed further around the back to check the water beyond, covering a few hundred meters, but found nothing. We made another sweep of the main reservoir, but the ducks were nowhere to be seen. In the following days, there were no further reports of them - they must have moved on overnight on Friday. Oh well, we’ll have to try for them elsewhere!

Year list: 128.

Derbyshire & Eyebrook Reservoir :: 30 November 2024

The willow tit, once a common woodland bird in the UK, has seen a dramatic decline in recent decades. This small, unobtrusive bird is now one of the fastest-declining species in the country, with its population having plummeted by over 90% since the 1970s. Its plight is largely attributed to habitat loss, ecological competition, and climate change. The isolation of suitable woodland patches prevents willow tits from dispersing and recolonising areas. Small, fragmented populations are more vulnerable to local extinction.

Despite efforts, reversing the willow tit’s decline is challenging due to the widespread and persistent nature of its threats and without substantial and sustained intervention, this species may continue to dwindle to critically low levels in the UK.

Seeing willow tits in the UK has become increasingly rare due to their significant decline, but with some effort, it's still possible to spot them in certain strongholds. Having not seen one for a few years Kev @kev07713 and I decided to make this our target species for our weekly birding trip.

Willow tits are most commonly seen in regions such as Yorkshire, Cheshire, and parts of Derbyshire with some of their key strongholds including: South Yorkshire’s Dearne Valley, Cheshire wetlands, and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.

Willow tits are present year-round, but winter and early spring are often the best times to see them, as foliage is less dense and their activity around feeders increases. They are easier to identify by their call than by sight; their song is a distinctive, wheezy "zee-zee-zee," and their calls include a nasal "chew-chew." Key identification features are a black cap and bib (like marsh tit, but with subtle differences), pale cheeks and a buff-coloured underbody - slightly duller plumage compared to marsh tits.

According to Richard Broughton (specialist on willow and marsh tits) they exhibit a nice white cheek pattern, with the hint of a 'golden collar', and obvious creamy margins on the wing. Dr. Richard Broughton has conducted extensive research on willow tits and their ecological challenges. His work has focused on understanding their habitat requirements and the factors contributing to their decline in the UK. He has authored a book titled The Marsh Tit and the Willow Tit, which consolidates decades of research and explores these birds' unique ecological roles, behaviour, and conservation needs.

Conservation efforts inspired by examples from Europe, such as the management of Poland's Białowieża Forest, show promise for habitat restoration. His research also emphasises the interconnectedness of forest ecosystems and the role willow tits play within them. Further study is available in publications and scientific journals, and Richard continues to contribute to bird conservation as the editor-in-chief of the Bird Study journal.

After stopping for breakfast along the way, we arrived at our destination and began preparing for a chance to spot and photograph the elusive willow tit. There were several promising locations nearby where they might appear, as well as the possibility of them being drawn to nearby feeders. Time slipped by without any sign of our target. Meanwhile, a pair of pheasants provided some entertainment, engaging in parallel walking and occasional displays of posturing. Though their loud crowing calls filled the air, there was no physical confrontation - just what seemed like practice for a future encounter.

We watched various tit species flitting through the trees and bushes, accompanied by chaffinches, greenfinches, a nuthatch, and a great spotted woodpecker. Many of these birds eventually visited the feeders, which were mostly nearly empty. At one point, Kev replenished one of the feeders with a "premium mix" he had brought along in his bag.

Patience proved to be essential, as a couple of hours passed without any sign of the willow tit. Then, at last, one appeared, landing briefly on a feeder. I quickly captured a few photos before it departed, stage right. The bird returned intermittently, offering only fleeting views on the feeder and frustratingly avoiding nearby branches. When it finally perched on a branch, it was partially obscured, making a clear shot impossible. Like many photographers, I preferred not to have my subject framed on a feeder, so after managing to capture a decent photo, I cheekily edited it to make the bird appear perched on a twig. A bit of creative license, perhaps, but it made for a much more natural-looking setting! - before and after ... you can't believe anything you see.

We repositioned to get a better angle on a particular tree and settled in to wait again. This time, we watched as the bird moved through the canopy, gradually descending to head height. Finally, it paused in the open just long enough for me to get it in focus. Success and this time, there was no need for any post-editing tricks!

Eventually our bird disappeared for an extended time, and we decided to make our way to Eyebrook Reservoir where a drake smew had been reported for a second day.

Smew are small diving ducks and are a winter visitor to the UK, primarily found in freshwater lakes and gravel pits, commonly seen in southern and eastern England and regularly on Rutland Water and Eyebrook Reservoir. The bird reported was a drake which sports a stunning black-and-white plumage with a panda-like face pattern.

We arrived at the viewing area where the bird had been reported earlier and started scanning. In front (and actually all around) red-legged partridge called; the call of the red-legged partridge is a distinctive and repetitive sound, often described as a loud, rhythmic "chuk-chuk-chuk" or "chur-chur-chur."

We spotted numbers of goldeneye and pintails; they are returning to many sites to overwinter, their populations steadily building. However, our search for the smew proved fruitless. A few other birders arrived, sharing that they too had been searching without success. Meanwhile, we spotted two very distant, black-necked grebes, previously reported in the area, as they swam toward the far end from the dam.

Small flocks of dunlin flew through with small numbers stopping to feed on the water's edge (up to 23 seen at once).

We walked and scanned along the water but couldn't find the bird - still we weren't the only ones. Barnacle and Egyptian geese joined the more common greylags and Canada geese. Try as we might we would dip.

The following days had reports of the smew again - it had gone into hiding while we were there - the Saturday curse. We will find one hopefully before the year ends.

Year list: 247.