When will the Bitterns leave their winter sites in the south of England?

[Deb London]

Well done Tokka!

I think you have captured a bit of the weird and wonderful way they sometimes walk in that second shot.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Deb London

EDIT Slap on head moment! I remember some birders looking at the reeds in the image below. I wondered what they were so excited about. I'll bet it was a Bittern. I couldn't see anything, but of course I couldn't. They are invisible after all

You were there, you saw some birders looking excited about something, and you didn't ask them what they had seen?

It's always worth casually posing the question "Seen anything?", most birders are friendly - and if they aren't you haven't really lost anything if they don't show you what you already can't see!



In recen years the River Lee Country Park Bitterns have usually departed around mid March (and the Amwell ones tend to leave at about the same time). In the past it hasn't been unusual for them to stay into early April though (very rarely later), so there is still time to see them.

[Deb London]

Oh yes, it is worth asking. People sometimes ask me, which always puts me under pressue to explain why I'm looking at a Chaffinch (we don't get these at home and they are very pretty). It's really embarrassing when one of the top notch birders that I know asks me what I've seen (don't ask me - you know I haven't got the foggiest). I am always looking the wrong way when the Peregrine flies over - every time - I've never seen one yet. So if you ever see me looking upwards through bins, the interesting bird is behind me, probably sticking two primaries up at me as it whizzes past.

Thanks for the info. Roy. Very interesting. I saw one on Friday, flushed one so everyone could see it but me on Saturday, and didn't have a cat in hell's chance of the one spotted on Sunday by a man privileged to be at the other side of the reservoir fence. That was Bittern weekend that was! There seem to be a lot around at the moment.