St Aidan’s part six

 The sixth and final part of our trip to RSPB St Aidan’s. My last Blog was Bitterns in flight however to be able to get into flight they naturally must take off.  Here is a full sequence of one of the Bitterns coming out of the reeds and taking off.

If you look very closely you can just make out the eye of a second Bittern below and to the left of the first.

At times it didn’t look elegant.

And it seemed to be crashing into the reeds a lot

But it did eventually make it out

And as Bob and Paul would say “and away”

St Aidan’s part five

 As I said in my previous Blog, we saw at least three Bittern while we were at St Aidan’s here are two of them in flight something I have never seen before.

The Black-headed Gull clearly didn’t like the Bittern sharing its air space.

St Aidan’s part four

 The Black-necked Grebe might be the big draw at St Aidan’s but for me while we were there the stars of the show were the Bitterns. We saw at least three and heard others booming and what a sound it is.

To say the Bittern showed well is an understatement.

It was seemed to be building a platform to stand on.

It was bending the reeds down with its neck

Then putting them into place with its feet.

It stood, posing on its platform for a while.

Then took off.