After several unsuccesful attempts at seeing the bittern, my wife had concluded it just wasn't going to be (and I was hoping that I wouldn't see it again to try to maintain a happy home life). Today, the two of us (along with baby Grace) decided to visit the reserve on my day off to make the most of the fantastic weather (only two degrees, but sunny and calm). We'd had a pleasant visit (with 36 Great Northern Divers offshore a bit of a highlight) and decided to check the south end of the Loch before heading home. However, whilst driving, my mind inadvertantly switched to autopilot and I realised I'd taken the turn to the airfield hides instead. We decided to pop to the Fen Hide whilst we were there and met a couple who'd had a brief view of a large brown bird dropping into the reeds and, suspecting it was the bittern, had waited a couple of hours for it to reappear. After no further sightings they left the hide... Within a couple of minutes Susannah heard a tiny rustle in the reeds and focussed her binoculars onto what suddenly appeared to be an eye - less than ten metres from the hide. Like one of those 'magic eye' pictures the rest of the bird came into focus - the bittern! It provided amazing views as it slowly slunk away through the reeds. It took me slightly longer to pick it out (the bouncing child hanging off my binocular strap didn't help) but the thrill of the golden and black stripes slinking through the dense vegetation reminded me of no less than seeing my first tiger in India. What a sight - and the whole family went home happy!