A stunning day at Dungeness RSPB reserve, with hardly a cloud in the sky. My family came with me today so I was hopeful that we'd see something interesting. We weren't disappointed! The Hanson hide at the ARC pits was the first point of call. A male smew, several red heads and a few golden eye were present on the ARC but the real highlight was a bittern just 10ft from the hide. We watched the bittern creep through the reeds, before submerging its entire head and probing deep into the base of the reeds. We watched this unusual (or at least rarely observed) behaviour for several minutes. A sudden splash and the bitterns head emerged, a large pike speared on its beak, bloody and thrashing about wildly. The bittern took several minutes to swallow the fish, only to regurgitate and start all over again. It was a breathtaking spectacle and something I wont forget in a hurry.
Later on at the rspb reserve, numerous ducks included a female scaup and lots of pintail. Large numbers of wigeon, across the site, regularly rose into the air to evade the attention of persistent marsh harriers. Other birds of note were a firecrest and cetti's warbler.The final highlight of the day was the sight of a glossy ibis. This rarity was observed feeding on pasture close to the access track. The bird was surprisingly inconspicuous amongst a group of coots. The ibis finally sought solitude from the many lenses and green anoraks, flying west and out of view.
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