Bitterns

A morning visit to Castle Water found whilst walking out to the hide, the 4 Pink-footed Geese and 44 Greater White-fronted Geese, loosely associating with the Greylag and Canada Geese feeding in the fields by Camber Castle. 2 Marsh Harriers were hunting the partly frozen reed beds disturbing several hundred Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal. Also seen on the way to the hide 4 Common Snipe, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 8 Song Thrushes and a Merlin.

Arriving at the empty hide and opening a flap a Common Snipe posed for the camera then a movement in the reed bed as Bittern jumped out and flew to the Cormorant tree reed bed. While watching an adult male Marsh Harrier putting up the duck and Coots an adult female swooped in and took a Coot as it struggled to get airborne.
A short while later another movement from the reed bed to the left of the hide caught my eye, another Bittern but this time it stalked out on the ice and walked towards the hide eventually crossing in front. Amazingly another Bittern came out of the reeds on to the ice for a few minutes before stalking back in.

As I was leaving the hide I recieved a call from DW telling me he had seen a Glossy Ibis drop into Scotney, so I hot footed there but was to late it had flown off. Arriving at the ARC car park I was informed the the Ibis had dropped into the ARC Pit for a few minutes, before once again flying off appearing to go high out to sea.

On New Diggings 8+ Smew and 8+ Goosander. As I drove into the reserve a Bittern dropped into the pit next to Boulderwall Farm and from Dennis's hide 4 more Goosanders, 1 Smew, 1 Peregrine and a Raven.

Back at the Tower Pits 3 more Bitterns,2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Water Rail and a Chiffchaff. While there I got another call about a Sea Eagle reported at Bottolph's Bridge, 30 minutes later I was there but no Eagle.