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Bittern, seen at Slimbridge WWT.; Two Bitterns at Slimbridge, added 9th January.
Topic Started: Dec 11 2011, 10:39 PM (3,312 Views)
celticsparrow-Jan
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:wow: Fantastic footage Marg :clap:

I have never seen a Bittern so close up before.
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Dovetail-Marg
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Sorry it's a bit late, but :thankyou: Judy, Tabatha, Gill and Jan.
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Davebutterflyman
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Are the Bitterns still there Marg?
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Dovetail-Marg
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Yes they are Dave. They did see three there at one point, but only (I say only!!) two are there at the moment. By all accounts some very good sightings have been made, some with the Bittern eating voles. The wardens there seem to think that they're catching about 4/5 voles every day, so I suppose if such a good food source is there, they'll probably stay.

I'm going to another event on Monday. Kate Humble is going to be there and we're going to have a chance to see via CCTV, the Spoon-billed Sandpipers that Slimbridge now has. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/14/spoon-billed-sandpipers-uk-rescue so I'm really looking forward to that. Whilst I'm there I'll go to that hide and see if I can see the Bittern again.
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Davebutterflyman
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Good luck Marg and maybe you will get a chance to see all three.

Very good link regarding the Spood-billed sandpiper and it really is last chance saloon for this species now....would be tragic if we lost such a unique species. It wasn't so long ago that this migratory species was a regular sighting at the hotspot of Beidaihe and also on Happy Island in China....a place we nearly visited and probably should have done!
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Dovetail-Marg
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I'd heard that Bitterns were being seen at Slimbridge again, but I didn't see any when I went there about three weeks ago, so I thought I'd try again yesterday. They always seem to be seen from one hide....Zeiss hide, so off I trotted yesterday, sat in the hide for some time, no good. I saw both of the head wardens and asked if they'd seen them yesterday, but so far no they hadn't. After a while I gave up and went off to another hide, and as I was just stood looking over what's called Dragonfly pond/South finger reedbed, low and behold a Bittern flew up. I noticed that it turned and seemed to head off to where I'd just come from. :doh: typical. So after I looked at the hide I was on the way to, I trundled back to Zeiss hide, heard that I'd just missed the Bittern, it had been showing well, and now had gone into the reeds, where sometimes they can stay for hours. :ahh: ;] But after about 10 minutes, it decided to show again. :happy:

The first photo shows just how well they can be camouflaged, especially if their head is down.

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Thankfully it came out, and even the sun was out a bit too......perfect. :grin:

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That's all for now, I took so many photos, (don't worry I won't put them all up on here :giggle: ) and I've still got more to sort through.


Thanks for looking.
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Grayling
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Marg, I can only echo what everyone else has said :wow2: really fantastic photos - well worth getting up early for and lucky you to see one again yesterday. :clap5:
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Natural Poolie
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Marsh Harrier
Excellent photo's Marg, I'm not :jealous: at all! :cool:
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happyhare
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Osprey
That last shot is a cracker where he's showing off his green leg :wow2:

I know what you mean about them being well camoflagued :eyes: Last year when I saw one it took me ages before I could tune my eyes in to see what everyone else was seeing.

Fab photos :clap2:
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Amethyst
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Marsh Harrier
:clap: Amazing sightings and photos Marg! :encore:

I will have to really sharpen up my eyesight if I want to see one!! - that is fantastic camouflage :cool4:
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Davebutterflyman
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:wow2: stunning photos Marg :clap3:

What a great bird to see and one you would never tire of seeing.
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Dovetail-Marg
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Davebutterflyman
Dec 18 2012, 06:24 PM
:wow2: stunning photos Marg :clap3:

What a great bird to see and one you would never tire of seeing.
:thanks: everyone

You might wish you never said that Dave, :cwl: as I took a lot!! of photos, including some with it in flight.
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lavendergirl
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Red Kite
:wow2: Beautiful captures Marg :clap3:

Looking forward to seeing the ones in flight :cool2:
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celticsparrow-Jan
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Stunning photos Marg,a great sighting :cool2:
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Tabatha
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:wow: :greatpic: Marg. Well done finding him. Your persistence paid off in the end. Look forward to seeing the ones in flight.


:thanks: for posting
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Night Owl
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:wow2: Fantastic photos Marg :clap5: ... What a great sighting! I'm also looking forward to seeing the in flight shots :clap5:
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Davebutterflyman
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:giggle: Marg

Will look forward those in-flight shots.
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Dovetail-Marg
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:hey: Dave, hopefully I'll get a chance to sort through them tomorrow, when I said flight photos they were taken as it took off, so no sky behind it, but definitely with those legs and big!! feet up off the ground. :lol:
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peppiB
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[div style='visibility: hidden']test[/div]
Brilliant shots Marg :cool2: :cool2:
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Davebutterflyman
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I tried capturing one in flight at Leighton Moss many years ago Marg but it was just too far away.
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