Birding with the County Recorder and A focus on Nature

On Saturday I had the opportunity to go birdwatching with Leicestershire and Rutland's County recorder Steve Lister.

So we met at the Anglian Birdwatching Centre at Rutland Water and from the visitor center we got great views of *Wigeon*, *Pintail*, *Gadwall* and my first since February this year *Goosander* 10 of them 8 Males and 2 Females. Then Steve got a phone call that two *Bitterns* were showing well from Lagoon 3 at my favourite hide Shoveler.

When we got their we got given news that a plane had been flying low and disturbed one of the two *Bittens* and then after 10 minutes of waiting their it was about 400m away standing half way up the reeds this is a bird I have been waiting to see for about 6 years and now I have seen a *Bitten*. We watched it for about 3/4 hour then two people that I had met before at the Birdfair this year and at a talk near one of my local villages, Rob Lambert and Lucy McRobert and we got talking about one of their recent twitch to see the *Western Orphean Warbler* in Pembrokshire.

Bittern on Lagoon 3

Then we headed to look at Burley Fishponds and North Arm to look for some *Black-necked Grebes* which I had previously tried to locate but failed but this time I got them all three even though my dad had to pick me up so I could look through Rob Lambert's telescope. Then their was two Green Woodpeckers sat around some ant hills.

So the day paid of with to new lifers for me *Bittern* and *Black-necked Grebe*, also hope Rob Lambert and Lucy Mcrobert have good luck on Sunday for *Hawfinch* and *Two-barred Crossbill* at Lynford Arboretum.

Green Woodpecker one of two sighted