It had been a long time since I had photographed at my local feeding station, spring I think. I had been keeping the feeders topped up, but what with the nesting season and lots of natural food and tatty adult birds I had laid off the photography. So I parked up with Sarah to check on the food levels and as usual, as of late, they were empty. After filling them up we sat in the car to see what would appear. The birds were now taking an avid interest in the food supplied and I was getting good numbers of around a dozen different species. I couldn't wait to get back down with my camera, especially with the prospect of 2 new additions to my feeder list and one of those a real gem.
Moving ahead to the next day and I arrived with birds already on the feeders, and selecting a few perches and positioning them settled back into my car as a hide. The Goldfinches were still very vocal and with a few fighting over position on the Niger feeder they for once moved to the other seed laid out, this time using different perches enabling me to photograph them. 
As always the most numerous were the Blue tits and Great tits, and then one of the new additions turned up... no make that a pair at least. Coal tits, a lovely sprightly little bird that proved hard to focus on due their busy nature. Just as I focused they would move so I had to wait on one spot and hope for the best. I grabbed a few images, but they were a welcome newbie to the list and one I hoped would stay.
A troop of Long tailed tits turned up on the scene, and are always a favourite with the wife so I had to get a few shots of these, just to keep her happy, and you never know what may be mixed up in their group at this time of year too.
Now to the remaining newbie and the best of all to grace the feeders so far.... a Marsh Tit.I cant remember the last time I saw one of these little gems, let alone have them on my feeders. Sarah and I had watched it actively come and go feeding the day before, I had hoped it would stay around for a photograph opportunity and sure enough it stayed. It would happily feed for a matter of seconds then take some seed off to eat in a tree nearby, but returned every so often. I would watch for a small bird to approach from a certain direction and line up waiting, sometimes it was a coal tit but I would be rewarded with the Marsh tit eventually. A fantastic new bird and one I will be pleased to inform Matthew and Clive, the landowners, of its presence when I see them.
