Bittern - at last

I finally saw a bittern at Langford Lowfields this morning - I walked up to the viewing screen overlooking the Phase 1 reedbed and a bittern flew across the reedbed from right to left before dropping back down. In complete contrast to yesterday, it was a brilliant, sunny, calm day - perfect conditions for seeing a bittern and it looked fantastic in the bright autumn light.

Today I parked on Cottage Lane and I walked the footpaths that follow the perimeter of the reserve (see the map in the blog). A male blackcap was in the hedge next to the Sustrans cycle track and a treecreeper was calling in the wood.  From the eastern footpath, three jays flew over the silt lagoons, a Cetti's warbler burst in to brief song, a chiffchaff was calling from scrub and a common buzzard was perched in an ash tree. As mentioned, I saw a bittern from the viewing screen and a green sandpiper flew along a reedbed channel. A kestrel was hovering over the banks of Phase 1. Two pintails and two snipe flew over Phase 2 and a chiffchaff was feeding in a sallow. Another chiffchaff was in scrub by the River Trent and a sparrowhawk flew over.

Where the Trentside footpath turns east and runs along the southern boundary of Phase 3 there was a female/juvenile stonechat perched atop a patch of clubrush. Three curlews, 143 lapwings, a green sandpiper and 12 teals were on Phase 3. In the hedges  along the southern boundary there was a vocal willow tit and a flock of about 40 yellowhammers with a few reed buntings, greenfinches and chaffinches. Back at the wood there was a mixed flock of long-tailed, blue and great tits with another chiffchaff with them.

Visible migration noted this morning was a siskin south, 14 swallows south and a few skylarks and meadow pipits could be heard calling overhead.

Other wildlife seen was a brown hare; butterflies - two commas, a small tortoiseshell, a speckled wood and a small white; and dragonflies - migrant hawkers and common darters.