Marsh Tit today brought my patch year list to 103, equal to my finishing total for last year. Had I been in the right place at the right time a bit more this year and got everything I've missed, I'd be on 110, but that's impossible. I hope to get 105 at the very least by the end of the year, preferably more like 107 or more.
The bird was calling after sunset in heavy fog along the southern edge of Ruffett Wood, presumably a pre-roost chatter (it sounded like there might just have been two birds there). Alarm bells rang straightaway but to make sure I played a recording - the bird came out straight away and showed well for a few seconds before disappearing and falling silent as darkness quickly fell. Sadly, although Marsh Tit was a breeding bird here less than five years ago there was only a brief record last year, and a further single record in 2010 so they're now a great rarity. I wonder how many more I'll see at CFBW...
