Why do Bitterns have big feet?

Why do Bitterns have big feet? Like all Herons and Egrets for stomping about in reedbeds obviously. But why such big claws?

Having photograghed the marvellously showy Bitterns at Hatch Pond a short time ago, I, of course, became less and less satisfied with my efforts and wanted to try and capture one fishing. As it happened I was due down in Poole and (ahem) found myself with a few hours to spare.

Luck was with me as, much harder to see than the photgraphs suggest, I found one literally 30 feet away from where I was standing. Although only a few measly reed stems separated it from me, it still provided sufficient cover for it to occasionally "disappear" and more than enough cover to render autofocus useless so I had to rely on manual - something I am not used to doing these days and it served as a reminder as to how much easier photography has got.... in some ways.

The shot above illustrates nicely the advantage of a camera's viewpoint, the short depth of field here throws the distracting foreground out of focus so the bird is seen easily, but to my eye, only its eye was really obvious.

Anyway, as luck would have it, this bird started its strange fishing technique, which was something I hadn't seen before and I hoped my excitement didn't blur the shots!

Only someone who has watched a Bittern fishing will appreciate the concentration required by presumably it, and also a photographer hoping to capture an image of the capture... if you see what I mean. However, after only a couple of minutes....

... but unfortunately it came up with nothing....

We both adopted our hunting poses again

and waited...

and waited...

and waited...

until eventually, all of a sudden, I realised with a jolt why Bitterns have such hefty claws

and suddenly up it came with its prize of silver

It steadfastly refused to turn my way to show its catch nicely, and instead turned its back and melted away into the reeds at an almost unseemly pace (for a Bittern) before I could comment on its table manners.

Not long afterwards I picked it up again and it carried on fishing but in a more obscured spot. Every now and again it stood up and... how shall I put this... licked its lips?? It reminded me very much of a snake or lizard "tasting the air" but as birds aren't equipped with a Jacobson's organ that doesn't make sense. I don't know what it is doing, but I did hear someone else say that had seen this behaviour when I was here previously, probably by the same bird, but whether this is normal or not I have no idea.

Brilliant birds, I think this was the best few hours I've spent in a long time, totally magical. (Apologies to anyone I've spent a few hours with lately, you've just been outdone by a Bittern!)

Sunshine!

This morning one of the several squirrels who spend more time than I'd like trying to break into the birdfeeders decided today was the day to start digging up the garden. I don't know why, but it decided to exhume various acorns that were buried on the far side of the path and have a reburial in the front garden.
I do wonder what prompted this action. Although it looks as though its having a quick nibble, it was just checking each one very carefully before recommitting it to the earth.

In the tree above,  a Redwing watched proceedings with interest and this was what turned out to be the last view of one here this winter. (ed: no it wasn't, still around to 27th March at least)

The afternoon was positively spring-like and I decided to have a quick look over the main pond of Fishlake to see if anything interesting was around. Nothing unusual was as it happened but a few Shovellers were quite close in for a change although they spotted me pretty quickly and headed off into the distance. I liked the patterns in the water though, its like looking through a venetian blind

Very often drake Shovellers just look to have dark heads although we know they are green, its just they need to be reasonably close and in good light to show the iridescence off to best effect

However, not every drake Shoveller on Fishlake was looking quite this resplendent, even in the glorious sunshine. You have to hope this one can't see its own reflection

A Buzzard took up station in one of the dead trees and worked its way to the very top in a series of hops and jumps and resolutely refused to look in my direction

All birds of prey, regardless of what threat (or lack of it) they pose, attract the attention of other birds who do their best to move them on. In this case it was a growing number of Magpies who slowly and stealthily hopped up the branches surrounding the Buzzard and trying to worry it into moving on. The Buzzard was not one for having its sunbathing interrupted and held its nerve

One of the Magpies, presumably egged on by its comrades, got a bit too brave and incurred an icy stare

which was obviously too much to bear and discretion (often not a watchword of the Magpie) became the better part of valour

The only other thing of note was the very large flock of flighty Lapwings which entertained on a regular basis. Maybe there was a fox moving around, or a stoat, maybe even an otter, or maybe nothing at all, but they hardly landed for more than a few minutes before lifting off again.
I couldn't fit the whole flock in, but here is a part of it.

A sunbeam on a dull day

Sometimes, however prepared you are for it, the weather is truly miserable. Such it was today, so dark and grey it felt like the evening all day.  If ever there was a day for SAD sufferers to hit the sunbeds, it was today.
One tiny bright spot in the day was the first and only appearance of a Goldcrest to the bird feeders. Our smallest breeding bird (well except perhaps for Firecrest) it weighs in at a hefty 5-6 grams.
Despite their diminutive stature, they commonly lay 6-8 eggs which will weigh about the same as themselves (obviously not all at once). I can't apologise for the quality of pictures because its a miracle anything came out at all. This little visitor made my day.

This one's hind left claw is completely absent. I have no idea whether thats an injury or a birth defect but it seemed to be perching perfectly well without it. Lets hope it doesn't get too windy!

The Bittern Bug

So the Blashford Bittern had put in an appearance, albeit brief, but I stood with renewed hope as the hide filled with more and more disgruntled birders who only had one subject to talk about, the unopening windows. More movement and the Bittern was back, a bit more in the open, relying on its best camouflage pose

but couldn't resist a sneaky peek to see if we were suitably impressed

After what seemed an age, it decided that this was the moment to "dash" across the open water between reed patches giving a lucky few of us a chance of a few photos.

I vacated the hide asap to get out of the claustrophobic atmosphere and into the glorious sunshine and fresh air, and headed off to Poole.
I wasn't as long as I thought at the factory and got away promptly. As I was on the Nuffield estate, I decided to park up and look over Hatch Pond. I had heard that 3 or even 4 Bitterns had been star billing at this most unlikely of venues. No one else was there, and grateful for the lack of hides, I settled into the trees and watched the reedbeds for movement. Almost straight away I could see one, but although standing only a foot or so back into the reedbeds, it was practically invisible so I waited for it to move.
It didn't. But a few minutes later, another one did, and stood out in the open for about 10 minutes. I think these are the best series of photos I have ever taken. I don't know who invented Bitterns, but they must surely have dipped their brushes in the colours in this water to finish them off with. The light and reflections have a lovely painted quality that I wish I could repeat at will, and you would be hard pushed to find a bird so at one with its surroundings in every sense. I think I've bigged them up enough!

Then it decided to cross the open water in the bright sunshine to the other reedbed and disappeared for a while

And then a few minutes later was disturbed by a dog and flew hurriedly back

I was beginning to be very pleased indeed with this day. On my short walk back to the car I met another photographer who knew these Bitterns well and said I should go to Poole Park while I was in the area to see the very rare Long-billed Dowitcher. I suppose I should...

The Great White Hunter

I had a delivery to make in Poole today and as the weather forecaster had promised a lovely day I decided to try and get some pictures of one of the Bitterns reported at Blashford Lakes. I thought it would mean sitting in a hide for probably hours which I don't especially like, but I didn't realise it would mean standing as there is only one opening window on the side of the hide through which you can photograph. The rest is perspex covered in a one way film to minimise disturbance when groups of school children are in... apparently.
Anyway, I wasn't first in, but I was second, so at least I got a standing slot as the hide got busier and busier with more and more people who couldn't really see anything. Worse, the Bittern wasn't coming out to play anytime soon and the promised sunshine was there somewhere, but underneath a grey mist.
An inauspicious start to the day was suddenly forgotten as the Great White Egret suddenly crept through the reeds. Its such an impressively huge and snow white bird that it seems very odd to see it creeping around as though it might not be seen.

I did briefly see one of these birds last year just down the road, and many years ago in Norfolk, but this was easily the closest I had been to one and it was spellbinding. As it froze and concentrated its stare I was expecting it to move very slowly towards whatever had caught its attention before shooting out its dagger like bill using that great long neck, so I was totally unready for this....

It wasn't exactly subtle, but it was effective and a jack pike hit the gullet.

And it wasn't the only one.  This was more the approach I was expecting

and with that it decided to try a new peg just around the corner

A fabulous sight, but still no Bittern. A few minutes later, the Egret changed its mind and decided to come back to its successful fishing spot, but unfortunately a Grey Heron had taken up the vacant slot. This town wasn't big enough for the two of them. Perhaps surprisingly, after a few seconds stand off the Egret was first to flinch

Only one thing ignored this excitement and that was a Water Rail which ordinarily I would have been showing more interest in but today I had to concentrate in case I missed a Bittern's 10 second appearance

I was running later than intended already and was about to give up when this strange head slid upwards in the reeds e v e r s o  slowly like a  periscopic glove puppet

and then e v e r s o  slowly it sank back down out of sight... TBC.