This afternoon I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the Bittern yet again, this time I had my camera ready and I managed a few shots of it as it took to the air in front of me and headed towards the M5.

The sighting was quite coincidental as it turned out. I had been pleased over the last few days to note that others had reported seeing a Bittern on the marsh in a way confirming my own sighting on the 7th January. I called in at the RSPB office for a chat with AJ, the warden and he let me know that he had been lucky enough to see it himself only yesterday. So, with that I was relatively content and pleased that my own sighting had been confirmed. We joked that it would be nice to get a photo but thought it unlikely.
It really is wet out there on the marsh and as I made my way across the public path over the “bridges” I was about to call it a day in case I should get a boot full of icy cold water. Then an unusually large flock of Black Tailed Godwit flew in front of me at quite a distance.I noted where they had landed and thought that I would go towards them, still on the footpath in their direction. Birdwatching is quite often about being in the right place at the right time and at no time had the idea of seeing a Bitern crossed my mind. Now, Snipe……… that was a totally different proposition and I lingered several times scanning the pools and scrapes for a Snipe to photograph. So now I am on the move slowly and quietly, dressed in my sombre camo gear with camera at the ready I scan ahead still moving for Snipe. Suddenly ahead of me about 30 yards a Bittern irrupted into the air and flew from my right straight in front of me and then to my left. After the momentary shock, identification and then realisation that my camera was “cocked” so to speak, I started firing off shots at it. The first 2 were just a blur and then I was aware that the camera had locked on and I took another 10 or so as it continued to what it considered a safe distance. As it it came down the M5 Motorway appeared in the viewfinder as I followed, snapping away. It settled in a reed bed a couple of hundred yards to my left. I have to say that it was an exhilarating few seconds and as I looked at the preview on the camera to check the images taken I was thrilled to see that there had been success.
Whats the fuss you may be askin? Well this Bittern is the first seen in Devon since 2007, and according to a little bit of research it looks as though Bitern have been recorded in Devon at only 5 other sights. Stover Park appears to have had a regular bird present from 2002 until 2007. There was one at Totnes in 2002 and in 2003 Bitern were sighted at Braunton and West Charleton. My photographs look like they are the first published on the internet since the Slapton Bird was submited to Bird Guides in 2002. I feel extremely luckt to be able to add Bittern to my list of Devon Birds complete with a photo!