Long-tailed Duck, Bearded Tit...

'Remember, remember the fifth of November,
With Welland Bank Pit's Long-tailed Duck'

Thus, William Bowell Pit the Younger, continued his 2004 bird-finding fest, with this scarce inland treat. See his Welland Wanderer site and that of the Toadsnatcher for photos of this bird (number 205 for my PBC area list). A national Waxwing invasion is in full swing, and the first birds of the autumn around these parts were reported by the cathedral (a singleton) and up at Market Deeping (a dozen).
The next day (Saturday, 6.11.04) I took my usual early morning stroll around Prior's Fen. the birds were very 'spooky' and clearly not settled after the annual bonfire and fireworks display right in the middle of the pit complex! However, there were 1,000 or so Golden Plover in a field to check through. I found one that was seemingly smaller and greyer than the others, and was fumbling for my phone and trying to get a better view when the whole lot buggered off and I couldn't refind the potential goody...
However, as I was watching it, a Bearded Tit started calling behind me (doing a lot of ticking calls, somewhere between a Robin and a Wren in quality; plus the odd 'ping'), so after the Goldies left I had a quick look to refind it. It had the head of a female, a black streak on the back and a dark eye. But the undertail coverts were black. So, I reckon it was a first-winter male. It seemed to like hanging out with a Reed Bunting (but in the reeds there are not many other friends to make...).
Next day at dawn, I was back on site to check the Golden Plovers. But in the horrible fog, they were either flying over or just not there.
The most interesting finding of my morning was a pair of Bar-tailed Godwits which passed low over with some Lapwings. These are unusual around these parts in autumn, and it seems there were a few of them across other inland sites on Sunday. A couple of Curlews were reported from our area, perhaps part of the same phenomenon.
A magnificent seven drake Goldeneyes were hanging together, like so many samurai.

Saturday's Bearded Tit was once more calling away, this time on the east pit (before it had been on the middle pit). My first PBC Bearded Tits were a family group in the exact same reeds, as found by Steve 'Toadsnatcher' Dudley in October 2001.
It was typically well-hidden, so I satisfied my digiscoping urges with photos of a Reed Bunting scoffing reeds...