Sunday 8 February 2009

Venus Pool - Bittern breaks cover

Don't you just hate Bitterns? You know they are there. You scan the reed bed through your Bins or Scope, trying to convince yourself that the 'shape' you see in front of you is the real deal?

Or you turn up at dawn or dusk hoping for that fleeting glimpse of roost activity? You see it in the near darkness and go away satisfied, or do you - I wanted more!

Quite a few folk have reported seeing the VP bird really well, (out in the open even) from the 'Fen hide', so this was to be the morning I had a go - what a cold one too!

Apart from a few Redpoll passing through, not a lot was happening until Yvonne spotted it 'trundling' out of the reed bed through the willows and into view! I missed the 'trundle' or rather there was too much motion blur on the few shots I got and the Bittern promptly stood, just the head visible behind a stump, part hidden, motionless.... for ages......






After an age, there were signs of life (none in my fingers by now though!) and it moved stealthily a little nearer, always behind the vegetation of course.......








Ever nearer and then, amazingly, the head was entirely visible. A few typical Bitterning postures too as it tried vainly to spot something for Breakfast?












Eventually, it was actually out in the open but with it's back to me - an occasional tantalising turn of the head was all I got before......








....it disappeared back into the reedbed, Bitterns are nothing if not predictable!