The Easter Holidays

Since the Easter holidays is quite long (two weeks), I normally travel to other parts of the country during it (Flamborough and Portland last year). But this year, I stayed at home, and managed to do some local birding.

The holiday started with my 5th trip to Cassiobury Park of the year, looking for Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers, and I once again failed to see one, which was a little irritating. However, a couple of days later, I went to Burnham Beeches in search of them again, but as I walked up one of the paths, there was no sign. I then entered another part of the wood in a habitat that looked promising, but there was just a noisy pair of Nuthatches and a Green Woodpecker calling in the field just beyond the trees. 

Brimstone

A few minutes later though, with a Green Woodpecker call for direct comparison, I heard a call which sounded like a Green Woodpecker but higher and squeakier. I ran to the area where the call had come from and then waited. The bird called two more times before it started to drum. The drum confirmed it for me - more like a drill than a great spotted woodpecker and it didn't taper off at the end - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker!

After a couple of minutes of drumming, the bird showed itself very briefly, although enough to confirm that it was a female. Finally I had seen one on my 6th attempt this year!

The next trip of the holidays was to my local area Stocker's lake, hoping for something like a Little Gull, but I was disappointed by the lack of variety there that day, although highlights did include my first Swallow of the year (before I had seen a Sand Martin!) and a lot of singing Blackcaps. I also saw my first butterfly - a Peacock. 

Later during the holidays I went to London Wetland Centre, where the best bird was a Lesser Whitethroat flycatching out in the open, although quite distantly and briefly. apart from that there really wasn't much else except my first Sand Martins and Willow Warblers of the year, as well as a couple of Brimstone butterflies.

The next day, I made the trip to Carlton Marshes, because of the recent American Bittern. I don't do a huge amount of long range twitches, especially at sites I do not know, but the fact it was easily accessible, and that the bird was an American Bittern, meant there was really no choice! 

After arriving, and seeing many Swallows and skylarks, I set up the scope next to the other birders, who were divided in to two groups on either sides of the tall reed. I chose the group furthest from me and waited. I didn't time how long I was waiting but I think it was between three and four hours. This time was not uneventful however, because an amazing male Hen Harrier zipped past, and everyone got good views, even though it was out of sight in a few seconds. 

Then, finally, someone noticed two Bitterns flying in the distance. There was a huge panic because a lot of people had not managed to see the birds, including myself, and no one knew for sure if the American Bittern was one of the two. With the rest of the birders, I ran to the other group of people where it might be viewable, and they informed us they had seen it fly and land in the reeds. I then learnt that my non-birding dad had seen it, as he was standing in the other group at the time. This annoyed me slightly, as I know what Bitterns are like sometimes, hiding in the reeds for hours. but just a few seconds later, someone shouted that it was out of the reeds and showing!

Some of the birders at Carlton Marshes

At first my scope fell on a Eurasian Bittern (and I think that's the first time I will ever be disappointed to see one of them) but as I scanned along, I saw a different bird, walking and looking strangely blue at first. The AMERICAN BITTERN! and then it started doing something I didn't expect it to do. I saw a white flash, which confused me because that wasn't anything I'd noticed on the pictures I'd seen of this individual. but then it started running up and down the edge of the reeds, reaching then standing next to the Eurasian Bittern. It was displaying! And it seemed  like the display was directed at the Eurasian Bittern. It then took flight, where I could clearly see the contrasting wings and the difference in streaking.

After watching this for some time, I left, delighted with the fact I had seen an American Bittern, and that I had seen it displaying.