Had yet another great day at Blashford Lakes, just seems to get better and better there.
As usual the bittern was showing very well from the Ivey north hide and I got some photos I’m very pleased with, even if he/she is rather hidden by reeds:
I'm not 100% sure, but the bittern appeared to be blowing bubbles to attract fish. I have heard of little egrets doing this but not bittern, was very interesting and here it is in action:
Outside the Ivey north hide we had nice views of a buzzard soaring over head:Again not a great photo but when taking photos I realised there was a peregrine soaring above the buzzard, which can be seen in the photo:
From the woodland hide our winter birds are showing signs of spring with one stunning male redpoll amongst the 15+ that were there.
Not a great photo but you can see how red he is, also that he is rung:
Also a lovely male Brambling:
Siskin:
Saw two kingfishers from the other hide near the woodland one. Managed a distant shot:
Highlight here was watching a cormorant trying, and after a while succeeding, to eat a rather large pike. For a while we wondered who had caught who:
Black necked grebes showed well but distantly and the bewick's were at the meadows once more. Rebekah saw her first bittern which was a bogy bird, and after I had been tempting fate about seeing them I was relieved aswel :-).
Dan
3 comments:
Bob C explained the behaviour to me the other week - they stick their beak in one way, move it from side to side and extend the neck fully when a meal gets close, as opposed to the way a heron strikes from above the water. Great shots btw.
Ahh yeah, it was turning from side to side so probably what it was doing.
Cheers,
Dan
Excellent capture here! I initially noticed your "cormorant vs pike" photo. So could the bird really gulp that entire thing down okay?? Does the pike put up a good fight, if eaten, does it get swallowed down wriggling the whole way as well?!
-Kyle
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