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Ian Barthorpe

Every so often, nature throws us a curve ball. Something we didn't expect. 

If you're a relative beginner to watching nature then it may be surprise new visitor to your garden, or a type of behaviour that you've not witnessed before. I can still vividly recall, for example, the thrill of seeing my first reed bunting sitting, plain for all to see, in my parents' honeysuckle bush. I was about eight years old, but the memory lingers to this day. At a similar age I watched carrion crows dunking stale bread in the bird bath to soak and soften it . At the time (almost 40 years ago), this behaviour was quite new. Now it is commonplace.

Even here at Minsmere, nature continues to surprise and enthrall, in equal measures, and Island Mere is often the location. So it is has proved once again this week.

The first inkling of what was to follow was a message from one of our guides on Monday morning to say that a visitor had photographed a bittern eating a water vole. Nature raw, in tooth and claw, as they say. I asked if the photographer would be happy to share the picture with us. He was, so we shared the picture on our Twitter and Facebook pages - and boy, has it attracted some interest? So much so that I have to share it with you, our regular blog readers, too.

Bittern with water vole by Nigel Cox

What's more, a second photographer has also sent us his photo of the incident too. A truly once in a lifetime experience, and all the more surprising as for Nigel, this was his first ever bittern sighting! Now, that's what I call lucky.

That's not the last surprise that Island Mere had in store this week though. Equipped with a brand new, higher magnification camera, I took a stroll down this morning simply to practice. My walk started well enough, with an obliging meadow pipit feeding in the dew covered grass on Whin Hill.

I couldn't have hoped to get this picture with my old camera. But it was about to get even better, as when I entered the hide I was greeted by a gorgeous grey heron posing at the edge of the mere.

At the far end of the mere, the three Bewick's swans were feeding, and once the extra zoom was used to good effect to get this picture.

I'd only been sat there for a couple of minutes when three otters were spotted behind the island. At last! Surprisingly, these were my first otters of the year - and I hadn't even gone looking for otters. I rushed off a couple of shots, but was soon rewarded with one of those special moments that all wildlife watchers hope for. One of the otters emerged from the water barely ten metres from the hide and tucked into a tasty roach.

As the otter feasted, I tested the full zoom capability of the camera. To say I was pleased with the results is an understatement.

Of course, there were other goodies on the mere too. A kingfisher zipped past a couple of times; cormorants, gadwalls, lesser black-backed gulls and mute swans  gathered around the island; marsh harriers circled overhead; bearded tits called nearby. And still the heron sat there.

Not a bad start. I had however, left the camera on Auto, so I think I need to spend some time with Whistling Joe and learn how to actually use it properly!