Bearded tits at Old Moor – a great start to the year

So 2016 has slipped out of the back door and my first trip out with a camera in 2017 netted me beared tits at Old Moor RSPB reserve not far from my home! There’s been a few of these birds around for the past 12months or so but only in small numbers and I’ve never managed to catch up with them. However, this morning I was in the right place at the right time and heard the birds calling in the reedbed just in front of one of the hides. The birds were at the back of the reeds making it hard to get a clear shot at them through the dense phragmites and the task was made doubly difficult by the wind blowing the reeds about preventing a clear view. However, with a bit of perseverance I manged a few record shots of these fabulous little birds. Below are a few images along with other images taken there today.