The Pool itself was very quiet too. Mallards, Tufties, Teal, Shoveller, Pochard, G C Grebes, Coot a fly over Common Snipe etc , but a Turnstone on the East Pool shore was a surprise. After about hour in the Arthur Morgan Hide a large crowd of birders came in on an RSPB Gloucester field trip. Judging by the look of them, their average age and the array of expensive optics on show they looked like a completely separate species from our local Cardiff RSPB group.
On their arrival Geth and I left the hide for a walk down to the beach. The only birds we saw on the way down were Stonechats and amongst the usual Oycs on the beach there was a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit.
Geth was itching to go back to the hide - he was convinced a Bittern would have showed itself in his absence. Back we went and after an hour and a half Geth, who was so desperate to see a Bittern, started hallucinating. Twice he was convinced he'd seen one in the reeds. But, sadly he was mistaken.
We left at about 1.30pm - me with a 'scope on my shoulder, Geth with a big chip on his. He was thoroughly miffed and wants me to take him back there tomorrow with a packed lunch and a flask so we can stay there all day. "I want to come here tomorrow and I'm not leaving until I've seen one!" he said.
You've got to hand it to the Twitchmeister - even as a nine year old he's got the persistence to become a top lister!!
3 comments:
What's all this about sausages, TM? If you don't see a bittern tomorrow, ask your dad to arrange exclusive access to the Arthur Morgan Hide with Dave C during half-term week. Don't forget your sleeping bags!
Just to clarify - they were vegetarian sausages!
An update on our search for Bittern at KNNR: we didn't see one there today either. Mind you, that's probalbly 'cos we didn't go there looking for one. The current Mrs JJ was working and I was car-less.
Did anybody go on the proposed Cotswold Water Park trip today?
The Twitchmeister will discover other pleasures as he gets older, and sitting in a draughty hide will probably take 2nd place to other activities........until he's married and wants to getout of the house for a while.
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