Ducking and Diving

Sunshine and showers so I was ducking and diving for shelter as I've no waterproof cover for the camera when I tootled over to Slimbridge Wildlife and Westlands Trust.

The object of my mission was to get a sight of and even better, to photograph the bittern (some say there are 2) in the reed beds from the Zeiss Hide. My local birding internet site had flagged up that one was there yesterday and it had been seen early this morning too. I spent about 3½ hours standing scanning the reeds and surrounding wetlands but to no avail - without breakfast, lunch, binoculars or gloves! However this flock of shell ducks came passed at speed so I was not the only one ducking and diving the awful weather.

I was also ducking and diving from other people's kids who deliberately were shooing and clapping at the birds when I was trying to get shots - the parents thought it was hysterically funny! Unusually there were some incredibly rude and inconsiderate people there today so I was glad to get into the Hide where everyone there was on a bittern mission. A great deal of camaraderie and good cheer prevailed - thankfully!

More Slimbrige shots - I did like the gull head so it was a hard call which to blip.