28-11-08 One of the Best days at Cresswell

Bittern digiscoped Cresswell Pond

Friday and its another bright sunny day, a heavy frost overnight left a white coating over the grass, I decided to go back to Cresswell for another try at the Bittern, just got into the packed hide to be told the bird was on view at the far end of the pond, it was sitting just on the edge about a foot above the water , then worked itself along the edge ,another bird lifted and started to fly towards us landing on the edge to the right and going into the reeds and couple of minutes later a Bittern lifted and again started to fly towards the hide landing to the left with the first bird still on the reed edge ,it seems there is three birds present.

The Merlin came over and again sat on the log staying there for sometime, and out of the side window I could see a Barn Owl sitting on the fence so I took some shots of that till it went out of sight , the Merlin still sat preening and just looking around , I lost track of what the Bitterns where doing one again lifted and flew to a new position and another took the same track along the edge as the first.

Kingfisher along the reed edge also at one point near a Bittern but most of the time on the fish box, where also two Water Rails starting having an argument over territory, Kinfisher later along to the left of the hide, and a Sparrowhawk sitting near the shore of the north end

Suddenly everything lifted and I picked up the Merlin coming towards the sandbank through the waders and it took a Dunlin landing on a small mound and proceeded to pluck and eat it's prey, till it was spooked by someone looking around the side of the hide, it's funny birds don't seem to like bright red,luckily it was there long enough to have a good feed and for us to get some shots.

Late afternoon and the Otter popped up in front of the Bittern at the far end, Bittern & Otter in the same view can't be bad, eventually it came closer to the hide taking an eel it took it into the reeds to eat it.

What a fantastic day with action all the time


Bittern Coming in left of the hide

One on the edge of the reeds to the east

Merlin on the post in front of the hide

And on the log to the right, a Merlin sat for about 20mins

Another shot of the Bittern as it came in to the reeds and dissapeared for the afternoon

Merlin crossing over the pond

Barn Owl from the east window

Merlin again on the post in front of the hide

Barn Owl from the hide window

Digiscoped as it was on the fence east of hide

The Otter as it neared the hide late afternoon

Merlin ,finally I have seen it catch something, the clicks and voices are of people in the hide & non of them are me !!!