Squabbling Swans

Why do I do it? I intended to have a brisk constitutional around Seventy Acres Lake but couldn't help myself from having a peek into the Bittern Hide. The bittern had been seen and it wasn't long before I saw it too, but I only managed to tog its behind. I stayed for the rest of the afternoon hoping to get a better shot and did manage a so-so one of it swimming.

It was absolutely freezing in the hide. People were coughing and sneezing and I had to continually wipe dew-drops from my nose with the Union Flag hankie that I carry to clean my kit. While we were waiting for the bittern to show we saw the water rail, a female reed bunting, a great crested grebe and a pair of shoveler ducks swimming in a circle. I also got Egyptian geese in flight and the Muntjac deer again. A 'slutty' hybrid duck had markings around its eye like Alex in Clockwork Orange.