Blacktoft again!

 One of the many reasons that I like Blacktoft is that people pop into the visitor centre and report their sightings. On Friday I missed several sightings of bitterns flying, so today was a chance to see them. It was just after 11 when I arrived on site. I had a chat with Stu and John, who were on duty and then went to Ousefleet hide. Karl and Brian joined me later.

About 300 teal on the lagoon, along with a few shoveler, teal, mallard and shelduck. 2 oystercatchers were asleep on one island. A redshank was close to the hide but this lapwing was closer.

25 curlew flew in

Marshland lagoon had about 40 avocets, a single black tailed godwit and several dunlin.

Xerox lagoon had a good number of wigeon and a juvenile spoonbill flew past.

Brian went to Marshland to see the spoonbill while Karl and I went to 1st. Only coots to be seen so we went to Marshland. When we arrived in the hide, Karl asked a lady if we had missed anything, to which the lady replied, an osprey. However we soon realised that it was a light coloured marsh harrier that had been wrongly identified as an osprey. A few minutes later, 2 bittern took to the air and flew around for a few seconds. Not a very good picture.

The birds soon dropped back into the reed bed. We then moved down to Singleton Hide.

A mute swan was constantly chasing a light coloured greylag goose.

Once the greylag had flown off the swan had a preen

snipe were feeding in front of the hide

A pleasant few hours birding.