John Cantelo
Well-known member
10 strategies to see a wintering Bitterns in the UK
Like the bird itself, I'm really sticking my neck out on this one as there's always a huge element of luck involved in spotting a Bittern. However, given the current weather forecast (see point 4) I thought I'd risk it!
1 - First find your site! Do your homework by looking at county bird reports, avifaunas, monthly bird reports, etc to find which sites hold most Bitterns most regularly. The more birds, the better your chances.
2 - Don't give up! Be patient! Keep watching! Allow yourself plenty of time - finding a Bittern isn't a quick stop 'n' scan experience. ( Well not usually. I suspect that managing to pull off this trick for my then headteacher, who had always wanted to see one, put me in his good books for the next five years and went some way to getting me a permanent contract at his school . Who says birding isn't a useful pastime?)
3 - Pick your day. You can see them when it's pouring with rain and blowing a gale, but you don't want to be out and about in those conditions, so why should a Bittern? So wait for a nice still, preferably sunny, day. (I'm not sure you really need the sun as long as it's still and not raining, but, let's face it, you'll probably be there some time so it'll be much more pleasant in the sunshine)
4 - If there's been a cold snap on the continent and a sharp frost at home, get out quick and look! The continental freeze pushes more birds over to the UK. More birds, means a better chance for you! The frost denies them access to favoured feeding sites making them more inclined to fly round in search of food. Don't wish too hard for these conditions, though, as it's bad news for Bittern mortality.
5 - Mornings and evenings are best.
6 - Four eyes are better than two, and six better than four etc - but only as long as you all keep looking! (Admittedly, something I'm not brilliant at as, once in the company of other birders, I'm an awful one for gossiping about birds!)
7 - If you opt for strategy 6, make sure your companions are good at describing where to look as you might not have too long to see your quarry! For example, can be useful to agree certain prominent markers on the horizon before you start so you can give directions in 'binocular fields'. (This topic is worth a thread of its own).
8 - Try to get a little elevation to see over the reeds (an embankment or viewing platform is ideal) and stay put scanning the area. The greater the area of visible reed heads, the better your chance. A hide will keep you less cold and hence more likely to stay on task for longer, but it can limit your arc of observation.
9 - Don't expect to see them in the reeds stalking prey - your best chance is a flight view - but don't give up trying either! Settle down in a hide with a good - and recent - 'track record' for bitterns scan, wait, scan, wait, etc.! Make sure you've a good supply of hot drinks as you might be there for some time! Visiting the famous Bittern Hide in the Lea Valley (London) is THE best option of all.
10 - One last tip certainly works at Stodmarsh - albeit giving poor views and being applicable for only a couple of weeks at best. One early/mid March evening go to the site and station yourself where you have good views over the reeds. Scan the skies and listen for a guttural "krau" (like a Great-Black Backed Gull) when you hear this look towards the sound. Look carefully and you'll find a Bittern circling and flying high above the reeds. It won't be a good view as it'll be a silhouette,, but you might see several birds. However, remember that this only seems to work during the short period when Bitterns are considering going home for the summer. Remember that they often only appear when most people think its it's too dark, so give it another 20 minutes before give up and bring a torch! I'd be interested if others have tried it at other sites with a large reedbed and a good wintering population of Bitterns. (Note - It’s also a good way to check out how many Bitterns are really using a site - I've seen up to 8 different birds in an evening in this way, whilst I'd consider myself lucky to see more than one or two in the normal course of events. It might also get you a wintering Woodcock).
All the above has to be tempered by the fact that I took a party round Dungeness RSPB reserve at the weekend on a 'Bittern Safari' …. And, despite a long vigil at the Christmas Dell hide, didn't see a single bird!
John
Like the bird itself, I'm really sticking my neck out on this one as there's always a huge element of luck involved in spotting a Bittern. However, given the current weather forecast (see point 4) I thought I'd risk it!
1 - First find your site! Do your homework by looking at county bird reports, avifaunas, monthly bird reports, etc to find which sites hold most Bitterns most regularly. The more birds, the better your chances.
2 - Don't give up! Be patient! Keep watching! Allow yourself plenty of time - finding a Bittern isn't a quick stop 'n' scan experience. ( Well not usually. I suspect that managing to pull off this trick for my then headteacher, who had always wanted to see one, put me in his good books for the next five years and went some way to getting me a permanent contract at his school . Who says birding isn't a useful pastime?)
3 - Pick your day. You can see them when it's pouring with rain and blowing a gale, but you don't want to be out and about in those conditions, so why should a Bittern? So wait for a nice still, preferably sunny, day. (I'm not sure you really need the sun as long as it's still and not raining, but, let's face it, you'll probably be there some time so it'll be much more pleasant in the sunshine)
4 - If there's been a cold snap on the continent and a sharp frost at home, get out quick and look! The continental freeze pushes more birds over to the UK. More birds, means a better chance for you! The frost denies them access to favoured feeding sites making them more inclined to fly round in search of food. Don't wish too hard for these conditions, though, as it's bad news for Bittern mortality.
5 - Mornings and evenings are best.
6 - Four eyes are better than two, and six better than four etc - but only as long as you all keep looking! (Admittedly, something I'm not brilliant at as, once in the company of other birders, I'm an awful one for gossiping about birds!)
7 - If you opt for strategy 6, make sure your companions are good at describing where to look as you might not have too long to see your quarry! For example, can be useful to agree certain prominent markers on the horizon before you start so you can give directions in 'binocular fields'. (This topic is worth a thread of its own).
8 - Try to get a little elevation to see over the reeds (an embankment or viewing platform is ideal) and stay put scanning the area. The greater the area of visible reed heads, the better your chance. A hide will keep you less cold and hence more likely to stay on task for longer, but it can limit your arc of observation.
9 - Don't expect to see them in the reeds stalking prey - your best chance is a flight view - but don't give up trying either! Settle down in a hide with a good - and recent - 'track record' for bitterns scan, wait, scan, wait, etc.! Make sure you've a good supply of hot drinks as you might be there for some time! Visiting the famous Bittern Hide in the Lea Valley (London) is THE best option of all.
10 - One last tip certainly works at Stodmarsh - albeit giving poor views and being applicable for only a couple of weeks at best. One early/mid March evening go to the site and station yourself where you have good views over the reeds. Scan the skies and listen for a guttural "krau" (like a Great-Black Backed Gull) when you hear this look towards the sound. Look carefully and you'll find a Bittern circling and flying high above the reeds. It won't be a good view as it'll be a silhouette,, but you might see several birds. However, remember that this only seems to work during the short period when Bitterns are considering going home for the summer. Remember that they often only appear when most people think its it's too dark, so give it another 20 minutes before give up and bring a torch! I'd be interested if others have tried it at other sites with a large reedbed and a good wintering population of Bitterns. (Note - It’s also a good way to check out how many Bitterns are really using a site - I've seen up to 8 different birds in an evening in this way, whilst I'd consider myself lucky to see more than one or two in the normal course of events. It might also get you a wintering Woodcock).
All the above has to be tempered by the fact that I took a party round Dungeness RSPB reserve at the weekend on a 'Bittern Safari' …. And, despite a long vigil at the Christmas Dell hide, didn't see a single bird!
John
