Things I've never seen

1:Coots flying,

I've Watched them for Hours, fight, feed young, run along the water but never seen them actually Fly.

The weekend started off great with a text from Kane telling me one of the Coots we colour ringed at Southport on the 12 of January had turned up at Watermead County Park in Leicester yesterday a distance of 167 KM. FANTASTIC This is the first one of Kanes Colour ringed coots to move a good distance. So keep your eyes open.

2: Bittern sat 40ft up in a Tree

Picked Andy and Ian up at 7:30 and set off for OGP . Water Rail  was on the agenda for the day so 4 Potter traps were packed in the car .

We also placed a sixty ft Mist net up as a few Siskin and Redpoll were seen.

After a few hour of Water Rails calling and seeing the odd quick  view of a few , we were about to pack up when Ian saw a Bittern fly from Left to right  over the reed bed and off towards the Sailing Club there it landed and sat 40ft up in a large Tree.

I think the bird has been reported at OGP for the last week.

We all grab are bins and scope {wished id packed big camera}and watched it for half an hour.

It was along way away but with the scope got some lovely full views of a bird you very rarely see. We all took some record shots and hopefully i will get sent some and post them, nothing great , but what a quite extraordinary behaviour for a bird that skulks around reed beds .

Believe it or not it is there somewhere.

Long Tailed Tits being ringed today

Aden, Ian and Andy