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http://www.tipf.co.uk/forums/topic/46369-important~-the-forum-its-future-and-finances/

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https://www.tipf.co.uk/forums/topic/57184-202223-forum-finances-update-important-notice/

 Clicker and Ryewolf  ...  Admin Team 

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https://www.tipf.co.uk/forums/topic/57184-202223-forum-finances-update-4th-july-2023/

 

One of Britain's Rarest...

Paul

By Paul
in Nature, Wildlife and Pets

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Paul

Paul

Posted
Posted

My feeble attempts at one of Britain's rarest and hardest to photograph birds, the bittern this evening at Brockholes. They were taken at 5.10pm so you'll appreciate how dull the light was by then. It meant having the ISO at 6400 and the lens could be no faster than f/9 being at 500mm with a 1.4 extender. I was in a stand of trees by the public crossing shooting through the reeds that cover the bank. Not the best, but just pleased to have seen the bittern at Preston. Cropped, of course.

 

post-784-0-07099500-1392849660.jpg

 

post-784-0-74128900-1392849678.jpg

 

post-784-0-04336000-1392849698.jpg


Also got a very distant shot of a kingfisher.

post-784-0-28573200-1392849717.jpg

Paul.

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JohnP

JohnP

Posted
Posted

Paul.... last February I spent over 2 hours stood/stooping in freezing cold water in a reed bed in Gloucestershire where I had heard there was a Bittern, there were a few other people there but they gave up after about an hour because they were so cold. I came close to giving up too but in the end the Bittern showed itself for about 10 seconds before disappearing into the reeds again. I rattled off about 8 shots which weren't great but OK. It was as much as I could do to walk until I warmed up but getting some shots made it all worth while. I'm not sure of exact figures, but I think there only about 60-70 breeding pairs in the British Isles and most are in the fens of East Anglia. I have posted the shots here, probably before you joined. I won't hijack your post, I'll show them again sometime.

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Paul

Paul

Posted
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Cheers John.

 

It did make my day. I spent 3½ hours there today, and I saw the bird for about a minute or so. But those few seconds meant I'd seen the first record of the bittern at the nature reserves since it opened in January 2007.

 

 

Paul.

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Paul

Paul

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Glad you included No2 & 3 otherwise I would have thought you had mistaken a coot for a bittern

 

The coot just got in the way, and the second was taken because it got in the way!   :)

 

I have to say that you made the most of a difficult situation. I've never seen one so I'm just a little jealous :)

 

Definitely worth the struggle with the light.

 

I've seen them and much closer (ten yards away once) at Leighton Moss RSPB but that was years ago, one walked across the Public Causeway right in front of me and the wife, when the water was frozen  in a severe February.

 

Lucky you...it's lovely to spot something new plus to get a shot of it too.....well worth your struggle with the situation. 

 

I'm glad I stayed as long as I did...

 

Considering the conditions you were facing you didn't do bad. Well caught

 

The originals were quite grainy - I had to use a fair amount of noise reduction on them but I'm pleased enough.

 

wow well done you ! i would love to see this images larger if you can though ? especially the first two 

 

Larger?

 

Cropped in closer to see the bird, or the full image so you see just how far away it was and hard to spot Annie?

 

 

 

Paul.

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JohnP

JohnP

Posted
Posted

Having checked in my bird books I think my figure of 60-70 resident breeding pairs may be on the high side, it could be considerably less than this. The number of Bitterns in the British Isles rises in the winter due to an influx from continental europe.

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Paul

Paul

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Having checked in my bird books I think my figure of 60-70 resident breeding pairs may be on the high side, it could be considerably less than this. The number of Bitterns in the British Isles rises in the winter due to an influx from continental europe.

 

It's certainly on the red list John - I just looked at the RSPB site (link below) which suggests 80 breeding males. Doesn't say how many females though.

 

RSPB BITTERN

 

 

Paul.

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ChrisLumix

ChrisLumix

Posted
Posted

I've never seen a bittern, wouldn't have known one if I saw one. All I could see in your first picture was a moorhen, so I wondered if... And in your second picture all I could see was reeds. Then this weird shape began to reveal itself and I suddenly realised that must be the bittern. Spooky.

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Paul

Paul

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I've never seen a bittern, wouldn't have known one if I saw one. All I could see in your first picture was a moorhen, so I wondered if... And in your second picture all I could see was reeds. Then this weird shape began to reveal itself and I suddenly realised that must be the bittern. Spooky.

 

Their camouflage is incredible isn't it? I was looking at that reed bed area for probably 15 minutes before I realised he was stood there. Perhaps a change of posture gave him away - by the time I saw him I had chance of 3 images. Had I clocked him sooner, who knows. Even over 10 minutes the light would have been a touch brighter and may have given better images...

 

 

Paul.

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Heather

Heather

Posted
Posted

 

 

Larger?

 

Cropped in closer to see the bird, or the full image so you see just how far away it was and hard to spot Annie?

 

 

 

Paul.

I meant a larger size  so that it opens to view as a bigger picture when you click on it, rather than being the same size when you click on it to view large. 

 

ps i didnt know Annie was hard to spot ;) lol

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Paul

Paul

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Ooops... Sorry Heather, I meant you of course (sorry Annie)  :)

 

 

Larger:

 

 

post-784-0-40235900-1392903238.jpg

 

I'll add the others individually too, cannot fit 3 at 175Mb each....

 

Paul.


Next:

 

post-784-0-52627000-1392903322.jpg


And the third:

 

post-784-0-61185000-1392903365.jpg

 

How is that?

 

 

Paul.

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Paul

Paul

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Posted

Don't worry - I'll just say yours are horrible compared to my stunning ones....   That'll get them lot talking won't it, lol....      :gathering:

 

(Only jesting of course)..

 

 

 

Paul.


much better thanks Paul, gives me more of a fighting chance of seeing the detail on the bittern :)

 

Wait until you see John's photos he got of a bittern. They pale into comparison. Mine do, that is, hehehe!

 

Paul.

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