Friday 3 April 2015

Once Bittern ...

Wednesday 18th March -

Due to be away for the week to the parents in France, so my regular Friday visit swapped for the Wednesday, and a little later in the day ...

From the Stuart Hutchings hide -

11 Little Grebe
1 Slavonian Grebe (looking a little smarter perhaps)
2 female Goldeneye
2 Tufted Duck

From the Southern hide -

4 Wigeon
2 Moorhen
2 Little Grebe
3 Grey Heron
1 Canada Goose flew through

The seed feeders were already empty - but birds still kicking around, including a Reed Bunting and 3 Dunnock. One Blue Tit rather startled itself by flying towards the feeders whilst I was still filling them without seeing me until the last moment - if Blue Tits can look embarrassed this one would have looked very surprised and sheepish as it made a hasty mid-air about-turn when realising there was a big human only three feet away as it was about to land.

Hung around a little - checking out by the causeway in the hope of Woodcock starting to stir and checking the margins in the hope of the weekends Bittern, but no luck.



 The south west corner from the Southern Causeway


I couldn't be bothered to wait until actual dark (sundown was 18:25, and it was getting chilly), so at a quarter to seven called it a day. Turned the car around and was driving over the causeway to see a familiar shape flying over the road ahead - a real actual Bittern! Managed to track it's direction (whilst staying on the road myself), and pulled up half way across the causeway (in the pull in bit, but still left the lights and hazards on) - managed to pick it up stalking along the edge of the water. 

An unexpected car tick (don't actually recall whether I have previously picked one up whilst driving before), but very nice to see up at Stithians even if the views were not the best.


Managed to get some excruciatingly awful nice record shots of the Bittern - well worth sharing as ever. The bird may even be recognisable in some!



There's a Bittern on the other side somewhere!



And there it is ... zooming in with camera 



And after a bit of basic processing ...




 ... it really is one ... !

Would have been directly opposite the hide had I been there, but the light was continuously fading and I was hungry so left it at that ...

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