Flight of the Bittern

Bitterns are secretive, solitary marsh birds known for their stealthy hunting, cryptic camouflage and distinctive booming calls. Bittern sightings at Paxton Pits are not common so I was delighted when this one decided to take off and fly close to the water looking like a Sea Eagle! Not great quality to the photos but happy with the sequence as it flew along the lake edge. The final entry shows the entire flight. 

Paxton Pits October

Ellie requested seeing a Kingfisher on her visit to Paxton Pits today - request fulfilled plus the bonus of two sitting together for a time (too far into the leaves and branches to capture on the camera) and one of them capturing a large fish which it banged on a branch (unfortunately behind a lot of foliage) before swallowing. We also managed several duck species and a Great Crested Grebe teaching its humbug youngster what to do with a fish after capturing it - not a very successful lesson so the adult ate the fish. Very cute Blue tit and flying Swan and Grey Heron completed the sightings.

Meadow Trail Paxton Pits

Friday  was a beautiful sunny autumn day for a walk round the shortened Meadow Trail at Paxton Pits and I decided to document the various features along the route starting with Cloudy Lake, Buttercup Meadow with view of Visitor Centre, the Board Walk by Rudd Lake, the Ramp, the path along Hayling Lake to the Ouse Way, another view of Cloudy Lake, the Gully, a panorama of Redlands, the Dragonfly notice and ending with a view of Heronry South from Bill's Bench.

Paxton Miscellany

A warm sunny day for a walk at Paxton Pits hoping for lots of interesting subjects to watch, identify and photograph but wildlife was in very short supply, we are presuming as a result of the long drought conditions. There are still Common Darters on the wing, a very few butterflies all looking rather tatty (single Common Blue, Small White, Small Copper, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral), abundant Ivy Bees wherever the Ivy is in flower and a Kite-tailed Robberfly. From one of the Hides, the young Great Crested grebes are catching fish for themselves now.

Saturday Walk Paxton

The theme for yesterday's monthly public walk at Paxton Pits was 'Conservation at the Reserve'. Mike and Carina took the party into one of the restricted conservation area and explained very clearly the work that needs to be done constantly to maintain the breeding areas for small birds, including the Nightingale, and to create new habitats for birds and insects etc. While walking round, I photographed any insect activity, which was restricted to a resting Red Admiral butterfly, hoverflies, Honey bees, a few small solitary bees and still a large number of Common Darters with smaller numbers of Migrant Hawkers and Willow Emerald Damsels. I called in at the hide on the way back and was rewarded with a late-migrating Hobby (in the distance!!) and a delightful trio of Great Crested Grebes (plus young Coot).