Well worth the wait!

I spent a while on Saturday afternoon in the warming sun and relentless wind at the North Wall watch point. I was looking for stone-curlews to do some live interpretation to Saturday’s visitors and gain some more information by getting a few to fill in our stone-curlew questionnaire. As I was positioned with the scope on the area they have most frequented several visitors stop to talk to me. Many of them had come to Minsmere in the hope of seeing a stone-curlew but due to the blowing wind they stayed tucked down, hidden and did not make an appearance that afternoon.

I was very familiar with the feelings the visitors were experiencing because I have been at Minsmere for several months now and was yet to see a bittern. I know of the frustration of other people regaling their sightings when you have been unlucky. Many of the staff and volunteers have been teasing me about how many sightings of bitterns there has been and how could I have missed them all?

It was decided by some of my colleagues that today (Saturday) was going to be the day for my first sighting. So after work we headed to Bittern Hide where there had been many sightings that day of bitterns in flight and also out in front of the hide. When we got to Bittern Hide we were told that we had just missed a bittern in full view. Typical! I thought to myself I must be jinxed! I tried not to raise my hopes too much that it would make a reappearance as I had sat in the hide on several occasions before and been unsuccessful.

The sun was setting in the distance and the reedbed had a warming glow to it. A marsh harrier was hunting in front of the hide and I took my time to watch it knowing that there were many other pairs of eyes searching for bitterns below. The marsh harrier was joined by their mate and I was lucky enough to see a food pass between them. Meanwhile in front of the hide there was a lonely little egret fishing.

I had plans for the evening and was already going to be late so I decided to give it five more minutes. Still no bittern! I turned my camera off put the lens cap on and moved to get off the bench when there was an excited cry of “he’s back!” I lifted my binoculars and immediately went to the place that my fellow birders had sighted it last and my wait was over. At the edge of the reedbed the bittern stretched his neck out in their peculiar snake like manner. I desperately wanted to take a picture but was transfixed by this creature that I had so wanted to see so I spent a few moments just observing him and enjoying the view.

I quickly put down my binoculars and picked up my camera only for the bittern to tuck his head back into the reeds. I was not disheartened as I had seen my first bittern and really enjoyed that moment. I kept watching through my camera lens and he decided that as I had made a special effort to stay and see him that he would give me a proper show. He slowly strutted out of the reeds in front of the hide and walked carefully across the water to another clump of reeds allowing me to admire his beautiful feathers and strange almost prehistoric behaviour. Amazing!

I clicked away with my camera and now have lots of photos to remind me of those incredible few minutes and my most memorable experience at Minsmere…..so far!

A nice view.

A truly incredible encounter, well worth the wait!