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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ashley banwell" data-source="post: 3197888" data-attributes="member: 15093">Dave, thanks for taking an interest in this feature which so far has seemed to be OK based on my population and recent observations. Willow Tit is a species which I previously gave little attention too and almost slipped away before I really knew much about them. Your photo 5 does give me some cause for concern as it does show some features of Willow, if I had just been shown this picture without knowing where it was taken I could lean towards it being a Willow (but I still think its a Marsh) . Willow of cause may still be around Lynford, I have never heard one and I do go there very regularly but of cause that means nothing as they can be very hard to detect even where I know they are. Photo 5 also shows a dull crown and very buffy underparts but thats just the effect of the light I think -  both which would be OK for a Willow.  The white mark on the bill is as we know a feature of Marsh, I have seen it on only 1 of the 33 Willow's I have ringed so far, all of the adult Willows have had brown nasal hairs and all the Marsh have shown black. I will attach some photos to either help or confuse the issue.Photo 1 Marsh in the handPhoto 2 Marsh left and Willow rightPhoto 3 Willow tail - showing the different feather lengths - another feature<a href="http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u17/downloads/about/resources/separating.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u17/downloads/about/resources/separating.pdf</a>Photo 4 - crap photo but it does show well the difference in the underpart colourPhoto 5 Willow Tit - but from photo you cannot see the brown nasal hairsSo overall I am still happy that Willow Tits show 'chocolate' brown nasal hairs and so far in my experience Marsh have black. Of course I would be interested to see some more photos especially in the hand to help prove it one way or the other.Cheers</blockquote>

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