Lucky

Report of a Bittern at NDC late yesterday started the alarm bells ringing. It had been too long since my last visit. I'd followed up reports of this species here in the past with no success. However, when the bird was reported again early today and was backed up with reliable observers including Tim Jones I decided it was time to MOVE. 

I arrived around 11.30. As Louise pulled into the car park Arnie Cowan was just getting out of his car. I joined him in the Geoff Smith hide and Louise departed for consumer land. He informed me he'd seen the bird briefly in flight at dusk last night.

...and so the vigil began. In a couple of hours not a sniff.

Around 2.15 Chris Gomersall arrived with his mate Ollie. 25 minutes later Chris spotted the Bittern at the back of the scrape...very impressive! It was only in view briefly but long enough for me to add it to my NDC list! (148). Tim arrived sometime later, although I didn't realise it at the time due to the hide being full. He also broke the York area year list record with this bird. An excellent achievement.

Tim's video

Below is a list of birds I've seen in the LDV over the years but NOT at NDC. Plenty to go at...

Mandarin Duck
Green-winged Teal
Red-crested Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Scaup
Smew
Shag
Great White Egret
Purple Heron
Spoonbill
Hen Harrier
Montague's Harrier
Black-winged Stilt
Avocet
Dotterel
Grey Plover
Sanderling
Little Stint
Temminck's Stint
Pectoral Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Bar-tailed Godwit
Wood Sandpiper
Turnstone
Iceland Gull
Whiskered Tern
Black Tern
Little Owl
Green Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Tree Pipit
Redstart
Cetti's Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
Firecrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Coal Tit
Willow Tit
Siskin
Corn Bunting

I've promised myself to return to the old stomping ground at least once a month...