Bittern : Kenfig NNR

With grey overcast conditions today and some drizzle in the air I decided to get out for a few hours and headed for the South Pool Hide at Kenfig prepared to put in a few hours in the hope of getting a few photos of one of the wintering Bitterns in one of the channels in the reeds.
Photography conditions were far from ideal and a high ISO was the the standard from the start, I arrived at about 12.30pm and had missed a Bittern crossing the left hand channel by a couple of minutes I was informed by one of the four other birders/toggers present.
I didn't have to wait too long though and at 12.55pm a Bittern crossed the left hand channel from left to right and I managed a few shots in the gloom, checking the time difference on my camera from first to last frames the Bittern took 19 seconds to stealthily cross the channel............

I was prepared to put in a few hours and picked up a Chiffchaff in the reeds which I thought looked a good candidate for Siberian race tristis, a quite dark bird with very little olive tones and quite a buff supercilium, record shots only as a little too distant...........

Time passed and as the light deteriorated I gave myself until 3.30pm as a cut off time and bang on 3.30pm the Bittern reappeared crossing the same channel this time from right to left, I had hoped that another sighting would be closer but the bird seemed to be retracing it's steps.............

Not the greatest of days weather wise but at least I had got out for a few hours and I can't really complain at two Bittern sightings in an afternoon of what after all is a very secretive bird.