Who's Been Eating My Seed?

Another day at Titchwell with Stuart and after a quick look at the scoreboard in the visitor centre we made our way to the feeders on the way to the Meadow Trail. Not a single Blue Tit or Great Tit in sight, just a sprinkling of finches including this cracking male Brambling. Now, as a rule, I never bother with photographing birds on feeders, but this was too good an opportunity to miss.

When male Bramblings have their body moult in the autumn, the new black head feathers are fringed with brown, and as they lay over each other they give the impression of a brown head. However, during the winter months, the brown edges abrade revealing the black underneath and on this bird you can see the black just starting to appear.

But what was the unexpected intruder.........a WATER RAIL!!!

This bird spent its time scurrying back and forth under the feeders picking up all the dropped seed. This was one Water Rail that had obviously turned vegetarian.