Thursday 12th June: Blacktoft Sands

 We had a great day in East Yorkshire, meeting up with Helen for a short break on our way to Northumberland. Meeting at her house, the skies were full of chattering House Martins which nest in nearby buildings, interspersed with plenty of soaring swifts, slicing through the air with their scythe like wings. After a tasty lunch at a local cafe, we spent the afternoon at Blacktoft Sands, a wetland reserve close to the River Ouse.

Our target bird here was Bittern, which have been regularly reported over recent weeks. A volunteer informed us birds were carrying food, so it was presumed a successful nest was hidden in the reed bed, and he advised us the Singleton hide was our best bet. We duly wandered along, rather pleased to note a Tree Sparrow in a bush on our way down the track, a species we do not get locally in Sussex. A medley of song from Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff entertained us as we approached the hide, which overlooked an area of open water surrounded by extensive reedbeds. There were good numbers of Gadwall here, together with the odd Wigeon and Shoveler, plus of course plenty of Mallards. Little Grebes skirted the edges, striking in their plum red summer plumage, and Coots had clearly had a good breeding year, with plenty of youngsters. Unfortunately we witnessed the numbers decrease by one, when a Marsh Harrier appeared low over the reeds and grabbed a youngster to the consternation of the parents, with several other birds rushing in vain across the water to assist. The harrier sat tight hidden from view, soon joined by another bird, and it was probably around half an hour before they suddenly took flight again, presumably sated by a tasty feast.

Blacktoft Sands

We sat here for ages, in the hope a Bittern would appear, but although Grey Heron and a little Egret were moving around the reserve, there was no sign of this famously elusive species. I was keen to see more of the reserve, so we moved on to the next hide, overlooking a pool with some muddy banks. A family of Canada Goose were here, together with a resting Cormorant and more ducks. A pair of elegant  black and white Avocets flew across. A Marsh Harrier showed well in a bush at quite close range… until Tim got his camera out! Scanning the skies, another large bird flew towards us, feet trailing - at last, a Bittern! We watched it fly ever closer, then appear to freeze momentarily mid air, before dropping into the reeds right in front of us, an incredible sighting. Another star bird was a Yellow Wagtail which alighted briefly on some scraps of vegetation at the water’s surface before exiting stage right!

Canada Geese family

After such excitement, we moved on again to the next hide, which was a double decker affair, overlooking an extensive reedbed. Here we had another Bittern fly across, together with a distant Buzzard, plus Tim and Helen saw a red-trousered Hobby, which I missed as I was fiddling with my scope ready to move on!

We were starting to run out of time, so didn’t linger here. At the next hide we found a single Pochard and a Tufted Duck to add to our tally, and unbelievably we had yet another stunning view of a Bittern flying in low over the reeds and dropping down out of sight.

Bittern

Our last stop at another hide over another pool with muddy scrapes gave us nesting Avocets with chicks and a Pied Wagtail, but with the reserve closing in ten minutes, it was time to retrace our steps and head for the car park. It had been a very rewarding afternoon.