| Blashford Lakes Showcase |
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| TITLE: | Bittern wading across shallow water channel to reedbed
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| INFO: | "Not a particularly great image of this fascinating bird but the first occasion I've actually seen (and photographed) Bittern at Blashford (though to be honest I have not put in that much time trying). Taken from Ivy North Hide, the usual hide from which Bittern may be seen, where one or two were showing occasionally at the time - my second session in the hide (during Jan 2011) and after an hour or two this one was spotted as it waded (pretty smartly!) across one of the narrow channels cleared between the reedbeds and I just managed to get onto it in time for a shot before it disappeared into the reeds.
I've put this (passable and heavily cropped) image in partly so that I have at least one half-decent image for this showcase taken from Ivy North Hide! but also as it is one of the 'signature' birds at Blashford that many people travel to see and hopefully to photograph, especially since winter 2008/9 when one apparently showed very well on several occasions, sometimes right in front of the hide (and it's still a relatively rare bird in Britain). Unfortunately I wasn't aware of the reserve then - I first visited in April 2009 by which time that nice somewhat 'extrovert' Bittern had gone for the summer! Since then they have been seen at Ivy North during the winter months but haven't shown nearly as well (as at January 2011), and certainly not on the occasions that I've been in the hide! I have seen and photographed Bittern more successfully elsewhere and have been amazed at how stealthily such a relatively large bird is able to move (when they eventually do move!) through dense reeds, which it usually does not by wading but by clutching onto the reeds themselves - I've watched one just 15 metres away move effortlessly through 10 metres of reeds and not one reed moved enough to give away its position! Add to this its wonderful cryptic colouration and plumage pattern (and its marvellous behaviour of standing up tall, straight and narrow when on alert) so that it blends in really well with the reeds, and it's no wonder that it is a difficult bird to see! - let alone photograph successfully." January 2011 |
| TECH: | Nikon D700, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 zoom lens at 400mm with 1.4x teleconverter, ISO 1400, f8, 1/1000 sec.
Lens rested on hide window sill. Cropped image about 30% of frame. |
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