Another quiet day on the reserve (25/1/15) or was it?

The day started cold but warmed up so the remaining ice on most of the lagoons melted. Here are the highlights:-

GADWALL HIDE  : L1 provided the best sightings for most people:
2 Shelduck
2 Little Grebes
3 Common Gulls
1 Lesser black-backed Gull
4 Shoveler
1 Grey Wagtail

ELSEWHERE
Cetti's Warbler - seen and heard in the Lee Marsh
Common Buzzard - seen in the distance from the Draper
3 Ring-necked Parakeet - flew south over the reserve at dusk
Great-spotted Woodpecker - at the Kingfisher hide
Chiffchaff - also at the Kingfisher hide
Kingfisher - flew across in front of the Lapwing hide

As I arrived at the Tern Hide during the closing walk, the couple in there said that I had just missed a Bittern that had been in the reedbed to the right as seen from the hide about 30m away. It had flown over into the Lee Marsh area. I saw the photos on their camera screen. In the hide logs for the Tern and Gadwall hides there were reports of 2 Bitterns seen yesterday. This is the second time that I have missed seeing a Bittern at Rye Meads; third time lucky.