Marsh Tit/Willow Tit id

 Hi Martin

I would be inclined to just keep an open mind about the id of the bird on your feeder. The latest thinking from Richard Broughton, the man widely considered to be the world's leading expert on the two species, is that visual criteria are essentially useless in the field. This is a tiny quote from p18 of his book;

"....especially in Great Britain too great an emphasis was placed on unreliable features in popular field guides, such as cap gloss, size of the throat patch and presence or absence of pale fridges on the secondary wing feathers." 

He mentions features that can used for separation but these are so fine that they are of no use in the field only if you have one in your hand. In short, he considers vocalisations to be the only reliable method to identify them for most of us.

I live not far from you in Llangybi. I have recorded Marsh Tits a few times around Llangeitho. There are some quite extensive areas of mature deciduous woodland around the village which are preferred by that species. There is also a good population of Willow Tits not far away from you, kind of between Stag's Head and Llanio. They can be found in the boggy, overgrown ground up there.

I guess either could be using your feeder. Keep listening!

Ian

"The Marsh Tit and the Willow Tit" by Richard K Broughton 2025 published by T & AD Poyser

On the border

 A Willow Tit was singing in Coed Llwynifan 635483. On the same walk but in Carmarthenshire were a Green Woodpecker and 5 pairs of Stonechats.

Willow Tit

 On Friday I saw an apparent Willow Tit at the feeders and underneath on the ground.  It definitely had a sooty cap but wasn't there long.    What made me think it was Willow was that the Marsh Tits  teased to come last year, not having been at the feeders since 2024.

Otherwise on Friday, unlike me as I don't usually twitch, I had a look for the "geese ", somewhere I've been before, plenty of birds most too far away for binoculars,  but the Bean Goose appeared to be in the first pool.  And a Woodcock in the woodland in Llangeitho was my first this winter. 

Martin Perry 

Llanrhystud

 A few bits and bobs about; 400 BH Gulls, 4 Med Gulls, 19 Turnstones, 1 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Egrets,  3 RT Divers.

American Wigeon - Teifi

Drake American Wigeon with 145 Eur Wigeon off Swallow Boats Teifi est as usual at high tide.10am.

Cattle Egret in fields opposite Parc Teifi Ind Parc, Cardigan as usual.

White-fronted Geese

 Three White-fronted Geese were flying south over RSPB Ynys-hir today.  Also four Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and a Peregrine. 

Thomas Simpson 

American Wigeon - Teifi

At high tide (mid morning) the drake American Wigeon feeding by the stream outfall near Swallow Boats.

The " Parc Teifi" Cattle Egret in it's regular field

3-4 Chiffchaff singing on the Teifi Marshes.

Aberaeron

 Aberaeron seafront to the old station cottage this morning. 

Bird species recorded-

Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull,  Canada Goose,  Pied wagtail,  Carrion Crow,  Cormorant,  Starling,  Black-headed Gull,  House Sparrow, Mallard,  Feral Pigeon,  Dunnock,  Blackbird,  Collared Dove,  Wren,  Woodpigeon,  Chaffinch,  Robin,  Great Tit , Mistle Thrush,  Rook, Dipper,  Blue Tit,  Jay,  G S Woodpecker,  Song thrush,  Nuthatch,  Magpie, Red Kite,  Goldfinch, Jackdaw and my first singing Blackcap of the year.

Andy James 

Ynys-hir

 Busy couple of days with a noticeable arrival  of Chiffchaffs  - at least  10.  Also on the reserve 5 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Great White Egrets, 1 Green Sandpiper,  3 Marsh Harriers, 10 Greenland White-fronted Geese  (often viewable from Ynys Feurig out on the saltnarsh), 1 Water Rail,  5 Shoveler and 4 Goldeneye. 

Dave Anning 

GREAT GREY SHRIKE

Around 3.30pm Jill and I were approaching the road-bridge on the Powys side of Llyn Brianne at its most narrow and northerly point, when the shrike flew out of a bushy tree beside the road just infront of us and flew across the water to the Ceredigion side. From there, after a while, it was seen tucked away in a clump of waterside deciduous trees, again only a little down-stream of the bridge. After some minutes it simply disappeared.  Nearby were 18 Teal.       My digi-scoping effort: