Penduline Tits - and then there were two?

21st - 22nd March 2015 - Topsham

They may be reduced in number, but the Penduline Tits at Dart's Farm Pools are still holding well-attended daily performances. Every time I drop in there must be at least ten other people present - birders, curious non-birders and photographers. Since the birds have been regular at the site since January, and allowing for repeats, I estimate a minimum of 2000 visits (it could easily be twice that number). Dart's Farm must be loving this - it can't be doing their trade any harm and has anyone thought of tapping them for some sponsorship?

Meanwhile, I did take a few more photos - compare these with my first efforts from the Recreation Ground back in December. First the male.

Penduline Tit male - 22/3/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham

Penduline Tit male - 22/3/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham

The black mask is fairly broad and extends well on to the forehead, the greyish crown and nape contrasts with the rich dark chestnut of the lower mantle, there are a few reddish brown feathers appearing on the breast. There are signs of an ongoing head and body moult, and the second tertial on the right and the first and second on the left are dropped. The pointed black centres to the central tail feathers are a good sign of a second calendar year bird. I guess an adult would also show a broader mask, more extensive chestnut on the mantle and more obvious rufous flecking on the breast. As well as an occasional call, I heard a few short, quiet phrases of song.

The other bird showed rather less well, though no complaints; it would appear to be a female, also a second calendar year.

Penduline Tit female - 21/3/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham

Penduline Tit female - 21/3/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham

The mask is slightly narrower and doesn't spread much on to the forehead or above the eyes. The most significant feature is the mantle, a pale reddish brown contrasting only slightly with the brownish nape and crown. As in the male, the pointed black centres to the central tail feathers indicate a second year/first spring bird.

Penduline Tits - third time around

10th January 2015 - Topsham

My third encounter with the Penduline Tits, this time at the Dart's Farm pools, proved rather more productive than the first two. This time the distance was about 20m so, despite the strong wind and generally poor light, I got more informative images (thanks to Keith B for the timely call).

There were three birds present, all with blackish masks, so two at least were additional to the usual BGM/Dart's Farm group; I wonder if they were the same party as the one I saw at The Rec on the 19th December. Two of the birds looked quite similar with narrow and somewhat patchy masks and showed little contrast between the warm brown mantle and the greyish nape and crown. The third individual had a more solidly black mask that was broader over the eyes and onto the forehead (where it merged into a thin band of dark chestnut). This bird's mantle was also noticeably darker than the other two, a more intense chestnut that often seemed to contrast strongly with the pale nape.

None of my photos showed enough detail to allow examination of the greater coverts - a moult limit/contrast in 1W, all coverts the same age in adults - so a definitive statement re ageing probably unwise. However, the two duller birds with narrower and less solidly black masks appear to be females, while the more contrasting bird with the broader, blacker mask looks more like a male.

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. One of the duller, narrower masked birds - female?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. One of the duller, narrower masked birds - female?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. One of the duller, narrower masked birds - female?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. The more contrasty, broader masked bird - male?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. The more contrasty, broader masked bird - male?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. The more contrasty, broader masked bird - male?

Once again, the best available sources on ageing and sexing Penduline Tits are:


Blasco-Zumeta, Javier, and Heinze, Gerd-Michael. Identification Atlas of Aragón's Birds - Penduline Tit. PDF available here
[This work refers to Iberian populations - I'm not sure if the criteria are totally applicable to Northern European birds]
 
Svensson, Lars. Identification Guide to European Passerines, 4th edition 1992.