Friday 10th: Wow! What a day! An early start at a snowy Potteric Carr. Snow that fell in the area over a week ago was still lying deeply over all the nature reserve. All the marshes and lakes were totally frozen with no waterfowl at all (Ducks, Geese etc) to be seen. I have never seen it like this before. Where are all the birds? Well the only birds to be seen were the usual garden & woodland variety in small numbers, namely; Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Siskins, Goldfiches, Reed Buntings, Blackbird, Mistle & Song Thrush, Redwings, Pheasants, a few Moorehens, two Water rails and one BITTERN. Yes, Bittern, these are very elusive waders, part of the Heron family, that spend most of their time skulking amongst the reedbeds. During the harsh weather, especially when the lakes are frozen, this is the best time to see Bitterns as they tend to come out into the open more.
Sandra and myself happened to go into Willow Pool hide, expecting to see the usual song birds gathered around the feeders. What greeted us when we opened the door to the hide were the hushed words, "Bittern!" A mass of birding-paparazzi and cameras with lenses as long as your arm! The target in question was not 500 metres away hidden in a mass of reeds, but 10 metres away amongst the frost ravaged undergrowth!
It was close but looking at it through a fellow birders' scope was just fantastic! This is not an every day occurrence, these are amongst the rarest native birds in the country. I've been lucky enough to have seen Bitterns before but always at a distance and heavily camouflaged amidst a mass of reeds! But it got better, the bird came out of the undergrowth and as it slowly walked through the snow, the birding-paparazzi let loose, the sound of cameras working furiously (mine included) to capture these treasured images. It stood there for a while, posing like a celebrity-starlet while the volley from the cameras continued. It then made ready, launched itself into the air and its huge wings took it leisurely gliding off to the far side of the frozen lake. Afterwards the birders started congratulating each other and checking photos, one even chirped, "Luck's in today, think I'll buy a Lottery ticket". A cuppa was needed now to relax, if nothing else showed today then seeing this was worth the free entry..... thanks Potteric Carr!
Well nothing much did happen for the rest of the day. Except that both I and Sandra yomped through the snow and around the rest of the NR, getting extremely wet boots and feet, only seeing the occasional bird. Tired after trekking through the snow, we departed just before the sun set. 
