Scaup

Amwell 12:56

Been getting good reports of what's around at Amwell, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Scaup, Smew & Bittern and I've not been there for ages, so that was today's destination. Let's go see a Bittern was the way I put it to Mrs RCB, although we both knew that was easier said than done.

First off we checked out the juvenile Scaup that Alan first alerted us to back on 22nd October, sorry about the slow response Alan, but thanks for the heads-up. The bird is now well into transition to adult plumage and looking a lot more like a Scaup than it did back in October.

Heading back towards the James & White hides to see our Bittern a chat with another birder suggested that the Smew had been around the Scaup earlier, well it certainly wasn't when we were there, we'd had a good hunt round for it. We also discovered we'd walked past the favoured area for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Never mind though, we've got a Bittern to see. Ten minutes in the White hide and Mrs RCB sees a strange brown bird in flight and I see the same brown bird land in exactly the patch of reeds I was scanning with the binoculars. We both say "Bittern" at the same time. A brief sighting, but nonetheless the Bittern box is ticked.

Wander round to the James hide and after quarter of an hour Mrs RCB has the Bittern again, this time moving through the reeds giving intermittent views, then it has to cross the cutting in the reeds and we both get superb views. That definitely is the Bittern box ticked now. See, I told you we were going to see a Bittern today. Check out Longshanks for a photo.