birdwatching

A rare spot.

/ Andy Finnegan / 6 Comments

I had only ever seen a Bittern once before many years ago and that was a fleeting glimpse but Friday at Titchfield Haven I saw another, this time was a good fly past and I was able to get a few distant photographs.

The Bittern is a member of the Heron family. They are said to be Britain’s loudest bird, Male bitterns begin to boom as early as late January to establish territories and attract mates.

The recorded numbers of Bittern’s in the UK is small at 80 males with at total population of about 600 birds in Winter.

Nuts about nuts!

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

The nuthatch is about the size of a Great Tit they are a distinctive bird with an orange breast, blue-grey wings and compact build. It has a long, powerful beak and a black streak running across its eye. To me they look like a small woodpecker.

In the summer much of their diet is made up of invertebrates, In winter, the species feeds on seeds and nuts.