Swallow

 

Helping on a Bittern Experience Walk at RSPB Fairburn Ings this morning. We left the visitor centre shortly after 8 am and walked over the boardwalk, past the "Big Hole" and up to the lagoons. We had not been there very long before we heard a bittern booming. After a while we walked a little further and heard bittern booming again. During our 2 hour walk we heard a bittern booming at least 9 times, sadly we did not see one, however we guessed that there were at least 2 bitterns in the area.

This is the view looking down to the area where the cormorants, herons, egrets and spoonbills nest. We did not see a spoonbill but saw at least 7 cattle egrets, little egrets and a great white egret. As we were looking over the area sand martins flew over and then a single swallow, my first of the year.

We stopped at the lagoons again on our way back to the visitor centre and heard the bitterns booming again. Little and black-necked grebes were busily fishing on one of the lagoons. A green woodpecker was perched on the top of a silver birch tree, calling loudly.

Back at the visitor centre we were able to use Matthews binoculars to look at the partial eclipse of the sun.