A Purple Bearded Day

I drove down to Leighton Moss last Friday for the Bearded Tits (Reedlings). About a dozen were darting in and out of the reeds dropping on to the grit trays. After taking loads of photos of these cracking little birds, I went in search of the Purple Heron. No luck at the first attempt but after a bite of bait I went straight to the Grisedale Hide where, someone told me, it had been seen the day before. I had been in the hide for about an hour again with no luck but just before I was about to leave someone shouted Bittern flying in from the left. We got our cameras onto it and fired off a few shots. One of the women in the hide was running about screaming excitedly “my first Bittern my first Bittern”. Someone else asked did we have the I.D right because it did not look like a Bittern but a Purple Heron. Imagine the screams from the woman when after checking a bird book it was indeed a Purple Heron. It landed in the reeds and I did not see it again because I had to leave for home however, it was still a cracking day out.

Not the best shot of a Purple Heron you will see but it is the only decent shot I got and it is a lifer to boot.

Male Bearded Tit

Female Bearded Tit

One of three Marsh Harriers I saw. Always distant but always nice to see