Pleasure vs Pain

Yin and Yang. Heaven and Hell.

The phrase polar opposites seems to be quite apt for me after a day in the Bittern Watchpoint yesterday. Actually, polar vortex is closer to the truth. The day had started with my car warning me of ice – like I needed to be told! still, it’s a caring car so i mustn’t be rude about it. With freezing rain sliding off the windscreen, I drove over to the Lee Valley Park. By the time I got there, the rainy sleet was slowly petering out.

I have been looking for the regular Yellowhammers now for a few weeks and the possibility that there might be signs of these bright buntings (not academically you understand) was too much to resist.

Greylags in motion.

There were clattering of Jackdaws up at the farm and mutations of Fieldfare and Redwing hanging about outside the open barn as if they were having a crafty fag. Their guilt is magnified by the way they scatter at even my distant presence. They are quite funny really.

Filter-tipped Fieldfare

The almost ubiquitous Egyptian Geese squabbled on the goose fields with large numbers of Canada Geese. No sign of any yellowhammers and the weather had stopped falling on me. A Great Spotted Woodpecker called from a high Poplar and Blackbirds and Song Thrushes zipped across the path in front of me as I headed to the Information Centre to see my good friends Brenda and Jo who were volunteering.
I bumped into Brenda before getting to the centre as someone had reported a swan in difficulty along the path. We went to investigate but neither of us are qualified or for that matter brave enough to tackle an adult swan. We found it and although it was a bit docile, it wasn’t noticeably injured but for a slight limp. Another volunteer, Kevin, would have no problem sorting it out as he’s an animal rescue officer and was usually around...hopefully.

We went back to the info point and paused to watch some of the ducks tackling the icy coat on the lake.

Coot. Big feet mate!

Coot

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Tufted Duck

Once in the Bittern Watchpoint, I settled down for the battle of wits between man and Bittern.

This year, the Bitterns have been difficult and very elusive. Usually with a frozen reedbed, the birds have little option other than to come out of hiding and fish for their supper in clear view. But because the winter has been remarkably mild our Bitterns have had everything their way.

Water Rail

We can rely on regular and sometimes prolonged views of the two or three Water Rails in the reedbed. At this point I found myself updating my day list of bird sighting with a welcoming hot cup of coffee when the Basta...Bittern walked or rather ran across one of the narrow channels cut in the reeds. One second? I don’t know but I only had time for a quicker with the camera and didn’t get much except the Bittern showing me a bit of leg. Well really!

Nice leg!

I was in two mind now. I thought I should have a look around the park a bit as the rain/sleet/snow/wind had stopped or should I stay in the hope of better Bittern shots. You have to understand that just a glimpse is good news, as of course there may not be any Bittern in the Reedbed. It’s a big Park (26 miles long and there’s plenty of reedbed up for grabs) but at least we definitely had one. I decided to come back later, near roost time and headed off to the car park. It’s only a minute from the centre but by the time I got to the car, the rain started again. I had lunch in the car and meet Jo as she arrived.

I think I can thank the rain as the afternoon would prove to be one of best any of us had had in the Bittern Information Point.

One of our new volunteers, Tilly, had been so sure she could see the Bittern but these birds can sit still for hours and I thought I could see something but when a shape doesn’t move for ages then you tend to give up.

Jo and Brenda. I think Jo can see the Bittern

We did see the Bittern. It moved back to where it started from and although it was difficult to get a lens on the thing we could see it moving about so it was only a matter of time. Well, it was actually a matter of a Mallard poking his beak into the Bittern’s business that made the Bittern fly up and grab hold of some reeds in clear view for us.

We all managed some good shots even though the bird was still in the reeds. Oh how we laughed. Even though by now my hands were frozen, I could still manage to press the camera buttons to check I had got something. The girls had some great pictures and I had some reasonable ones too.

Just goes to show how difficult these jokers are to see.

These birds give people so much pleasure when they show. We have sometimes hundreds of visitor a day and although they might not all be coming in for the Bittern, if they see it, then they always have a beam running right across their happy faces. The physical and mental pain getting there is worth it every time.