Good morning. As several of the team are on holiday this week, I volunteered to help out with this morning’s bittern survey. I arrived in time for the 7am kick off and was all set up to head down to New Fen North. However, when volunteers Roger & Janet came in, they reported hearing a bittern booming in front of the Washland viewpoint on Tuesday evening. As this is very unusual, I was therefore sent up to the Washland viewpoint and I took my position just before 7am. Here is what I heard and saw:
06.56: A bittern booms from the west, probably in New Fen North
06.57: I spot a barn owl hunting along the Norfolk bank of the large washland pool.
07.01: A cuckoo starts calling in East Wood
07.02: A grasshopper warbler starts reeling just west of my location
07.09: A bittern booms again from New Fen North
07.12: A bittern starts booming from the north east corner of the large washland pool. After it stops booming, it clambers up onto the reeds and perches right out in the open until...
07.16: ...when it flew from the north east corner of the pool into the north west corner of the pool
07.17: The bittern booms in the reed at the north west corner of the pool
07.18: I watch two common terns plunge- diving into the large washland pool
07.21: I spot a short eared owl hunting along the Norfolk bank of the river. Presumably, it’s the same bird that has been around on and off for the last fortnight
07.22: Two great crested grebes start indulging in their elaborate “penguin dance” display in front of me
07.40: Two shelducks drop into the large washland pool
07.41: I spot another barn owl hunting over the Norfolk bank of the large washland pool
07.43: The bittern flies from the north west corner of the washland pool right towards me. It spots me and lands in the reeds directly in front of the viewpoint
07.46: The bittern booms in the reeds right in front of the viewpoint. It is so close that I can feel the resonance of it’s boom!
07.49: The bittern booms again from the same location. Amazing!
08.11: A cuckoo flies east in front of the viewpoint
08.13: Presumably the same cuckoo flies west in front of the viewpoint
08.30: Time to retreat to the visitor centre for a well earned cup of coffee before I open the visitor centre.
I hope that gives you an impression of quite what a bittern survey involves. I will leave you with this picture of an exceptionally well camouflaged bittern that Warden Emma took a couple of weeks ago. It is in there somewhere, I promise!
Image credit: Emma Cuthbertson
I will return with some more recent sightings either tomorrow or Saturday so until then, we hope to see you soon!