What am I bid for a pair of crested tits?

Earlier today, the hammer came down at £18.

The Crested Tit's would have looked nice next to my Wren and Greenfinch but far too expensive for my liking, my two not exactly lonesome as they have an Otter, Fox and two Hedgehogs for company.

The crested tits failed to reach their reserve price and are being re-auctioned next week.

Sightings of Crested Tits were few and far between on the recent Lincolnshire Bird Club holiday to the Cairngorms, but could there be some consolation?

Two birds - in ornamental form  - have turned up in the saleroom of auctioneers John Taylors of Louth.

Bidding closes on May 23 with a pre-sale estimate that the hammer will come down on Lot 46 at a fairly modest sum - between £20-30.

In the same auction, Lot 48 consists of two Marsh/ Willow Tits (pre-sale estimate £20-30), while Lot 51 is made up of three owls - two Long-eared and one Little .

However, a word of caution for prospective bidders - sadly one of the owls has lost part of its right ear which perhaps explains why there is no pre-sale estimate.

More info at: www.johntaylors.com/auction-rooms/