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.