Once Bittern, Twice Shy

Birding on Friday took us into another county. Scary though leaving Sussex might be, we ventured just over the border into Hampshire in search of a Shore Lark which was reported to be at the old oyster beds on Hayling Island.

Sure enough, it was immediately obvious that the bird was still in residence from the number of similarly attired folk old enough to know better f pointing 'scopes and other lenses in the same direction.

A couple of friendly birders pointed us in exactly the right place and we very soon had good, if distant views of its little yellow and black physog.

We all agreed that it had much more pronounced markings than the last Shore Lark we saw at Seven Sisters Country Park. While at Hayling Island we also saw a number of Brent Geese and assorted waders including a large number of my favourite bird the Oystercatcher.

Although this was clearly a great place to come birding, the chill brought by the wind whipping across Langstone Harbour meant that this wasn't necessarily the ideal place to be here (unless you were one of the wind-surfers whizzing by, presumably) so we decided to retreat inland and back to Sussex. Wet wood ho!

 We arrived at Burton Mill Pond at lunchtime and decided that there was nowhere particularly suited to a sit-down picnic outside by the pond and, wisely in my opinion, opted to eat in the warmth of the car. After lunch we ventured out again though and after a quick look around the pond set off for a walk in the woods.

This is a strange post-industrial environment of trees, heaths, streams and bogs caused by nature reclaiming what was once a very busy landscape of iron, peat and clay extraction. It's still possible to see where the waters of the hammer pond fell six feet towards the mill building driving its enormous hammer.

Sadly, the Tawny Owl was not in its usual resting place this year but there were a number of other birds about, including a Great-spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinches, Siskins and other "Little Brown Jobs".

After an enjoyable ramble through the fantastic landscape of the woodland with its gnarled trees, peaty bogs, weird tussocks and fungi, we returned to the pond. After another hot drink we then stood by the side of the water, along with one or two other lunatics while we waited for dusk and hopefully for some Bitterns to fly in.

While we waited we were entertained by something like seventy Cormorants gathering in a tree (or several similar trees close together). A number of Buzzards displayed, huge silhouettes in the reddening sky as they made their high and lonely-sounding cry.

Out on the pond, various ducks, grebes and a Heron where diving, dabbling and quacking. It is a beautiful spot and as the sky, which had been overcast most of the day, turned pink and then began to darken we scanned across the water anxiously for the final act of the day.

Unfortunately this time we were disappointed and eventually we had to admit that even if they appeared it was now too dark for us to make anything out. Even in good light a Bittern can quickly disappear once it arrives in the reeds. Reluctantly we returned to the car.

A shame about Wol and the Bitterns but otherwise it had been another marvellous day out for me.