Up early Sunday morning waiting for these to come on the pager before we set off. Arrived at Saltholme after a very easy, 110 miles, nearly lorry free. They had been seen nearly all yesterday afternoon in the rushes opposite the fire station and we knew that this was on the main road just before the reserve. We drove past to find nobody looking and our hearts sank. But we weren't coming all this way again to fail so set up stall exactly where it said on the pager. A fireman came out to tell us we were in the right place ! The road was so busy and all we had to stand on was a tiny grass verge where we could see through intermittent gaps in the hedge. Viewing was not easy. There seemed to be reed buntings everywhere and our eyes were constantly drawn to their movement until Karen found a very distant penduline tit, and then another one. Bingo ! As soon as they showed they were gone, up and down and so distant that binoculars struggled. We stayed for a few hours and realised that they were not going to come any closer so these shots are the best we could manage, but better than nothing. They were definately distant but they were a new UK bird and took Karen's list to 384.
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