The Bearded Reedling
Deep in the reed-bed of a nature reserve in north Lancashire is an amazing bird that seldom shows itself – it is the Bearded Tit or Reedling. It is one of the few species of bird that change their diet from insects in summers to the seeds of reeds in winter. To do this every autumn they ingest grit which enables their stomach to process the seeds. When they start to ingest the grit is the best time to obtain photos as they fly from the reeds by the dozen onto paths and trays put out specially for them.
Before leaving Islay, until our return next June, it would be remiss of me not to mention the bird that first brought us to Islay in 1976 – the Hen Harrier. There can be few better places to see Hen Harriers in Winter than Islay. It is not uncommon to encounter five or six different birds on a trip around the island. In fact you have a better chance to see female Harriers in Winter than in Summer when they are occupied hatching their eggs or brooding their young in the deep heather. In the 48 years since 1976 I count myself lucky to have intensively studied and filmed over sixty pairs of Islay’s Hen Harriers as well as ringing over 200 of their young.
In Winter Islay must have at least twenty Sea Eagles, all attracted to the Island by the abundance of prey in the form of the Geese. As these Eagles move around the island they regularly come into conflict with Islays resident Buzzards. Surprisingly, the Sea Eagles don’t always win these disputes.