Bittern Roost Watch

Winterwatch starts tomorrow and to get into the mood I went to the Lee Valley Park Bittern Roost Watch this evening.

I called in at the Bittern Hide after lunch and hung around for a while but the bittern wasn't showing very well. I got a few shots of a water rail and then set off to walk around Seventy Acres Lake. A nice little chiff-chaff was hovering by the water's edge and the shoveler ducks were paired up and swimming in circles with their heads under the water. The sun dipped below the horizon as I arrived back at the hide.

It was heaving. I'm used to having it to myself in the week. :) Everyone was struggling to see the bittern. Then we saw some reeds move. I kept my camera trained on the slightest quiver. At around five o'clock the butterbump went up to roost, if you can call it that. I could just about make it out through the reeds bending some stems over to construct its sleeping platform. I had the ISO on 6200 and had dialled in + 2 step also. I was delighted that I managed to capture a rather indistinct, grainy but recogniseable bittern going to beddy byes. :)