Priorslee - Bittern flight show!!!

Sunday was, apart from the 'customary' two YL Gulls, a quiet afternoon's vigil with no show from the Bittern! I wasn't exactly in a hurry to repeat the exercise! So, the briefest of visits to Priorslee at lunchtime today was just to check out the Gulls for a white winger?

I'd just scanned just the 300 strong Gull flock, not even a YLG when they all went up - and what do you think was causing them concern......

A low flying Bittern no less, flushed ?? out of the North reedbed! Where was my camera? In the boot, not much good there eh!!!! Tell you what, it was out, minus the lens hood, pretty smartish but by now the Bittern had now crossed the lake from North to South over the trees, heading towards the M54!

Amazingly, with me now now armed and ready, it did a U-turn.....








..... briefly landing on the South East corner - Gotcha!!








Then, off again to the North West reedbed.....








A new feature for 2010, where relevant, I'll include Google map data, here's the flight path of the Bittern today.....


View Shropshire Birders Birdmap in a larger map

Hopefully it will stay with us for the Winter, keep your eyes peeled (especially if the Gulls go up) when visiting!!

Must be my lucky day?? Male Blackcap in my garden too (not that I'm ever there to admire it!)