Bittern WSL again

I didn't pick up the Rick Dawson news of a male Goosander on Sandford at 12:30 until after 15:00, but on arrival in the lay-by, Brian said he couldn't find it. So I headed off to LFGP instead, only to find some muppet had left the outher gate unlocked and worse the locking gate to the hide wide open, but lock secured on the housing. What idiot would be so stupid as to do this I thought? I'll be getting our security camera out to catch these fools and are they going to get a telling off when I do.

On show, just 2 Snipe, 7 Wigeon, 3 Shoveler before I decided WSL was worth a check for Bittern, as soon as I crossed into Sandford, I could see a pale bird to the far Eastern end and could see thru bins, it was the male Goosander. I let Brian and a few others know, Water Rail called in the backwater by the old sluice and I headed off to WSL, but got a fine candidate for rubbish record shot of the month, at least it was kind of nice that it got up and flapped its wings.

At WSL, 15+ Wigeon, a few Gadwall, 10-15 Starling circling the reed bed, 2 more Water Rail calling, a Kingfisher calling nearby, then at 16:15 a Bittern climbed up just left of middle of the reeds. It looked like it could be the Lavell's bird, so perhaps it never left the area? On my walk back via Sandford Trevor was just catching the Goosander in the dying light from near the old sluice, a second Water Rail then a Cettis'called briefly.


On the Bittern front, if this was a new bird to the Lavell's October bird, this would be about my 33rd, or 34th Bittern since 2002 and not meaning to sound vague, it has been difficult to track all of the individuals with their plumage differences and variations, not forgetting their movements, disappearances and reappearances. Either way I have only missed 2-3 of them in 11 years and never tire of finding them, watching them and showing them to others.