We awoke to see that news had circulated overnight of a Marsh Tit visiting the feeding site at Cromwell Bottom. The birder was not involved with the Calderdale Bird group, but the photos showed the bird clearly. Lia and I headed to Soil Hill as usual, hoping that someone more local would be able to confirm the bird was still present but by 09:00 no news had reached us, so we decided to go for it regardless of news, and it is a good thing that we did.
As we arrived another birder was already present at the feeding site. He stated that the bird had not been seen by him, but that he had only been there for half an hour. Less than 10 minutes into our stay the bird appeared on the bird table at the right side of the feeding site. It then spent a few minutes traveling around the feeding site visiting a number of different feeders and often showing well. It then left for around 10 minutes before it returned, but only travelling through the canopy and not visiting the feeder.
It took another 20 minutes or so for the bird to return to the feeding station, during which time DF, JM and DJS had all arrived, and we were all able to enjoy the bird as it showed very well at times. We all agreed that the smaller bib and pale spot at the base of the bill made this bird a Marsh Tit rather than a Willow Tit. Frustratingly, it never called in the hour that we stayed.
And unfortunately had we heard the bird call we would have been able to identify it there and then as a Willow Tit. Instead it took a week before a researcher who stuides this species pair corrected the identification based on photos I posted on Twitter. Whilst still a Halifax tick for me, Marsh Tit is a much rarer bird in West Yorkshire and I had hoped that the initial identification had been correct.
After the feeding station, Lia and I had a short walk round and we found a nice Kingfisher, but it was a Saturday so the site was full of dogs and kids, so we decided to call it a day and head back home.
Cromwell Bottom: Mute Swan, Mallard, Common Wood Pigeon, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Magpie, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Goldfinch,
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