Greylags

horrible birds but available targets

Bearded Tit

a rather confiding male -- although birds often perform well in severe weather I always have the feeling that they only do so because they are struggling but this bird has masses of reed head to feed on and yet seems to tolerate people feeding close to them out of choice?!

Shoveler and ice

a severe overnight freeze has concentrated the remaining wildfowl in a few ice-free holes around the pits -- a really tricky contrast scenario with the drake's contrasting plumage and the low winter light but great birds

Water Rail

a very brief encounter

Common Snipe

Robin

several individuals seem to be struggling around the pits becoming very tame

Bittern encounters

a sharp overnight frost produced a lot of frozen pits and a sunny morning saw a profusion of Bittern activity with 5+ birds seen from the main hide BUT they were all on the other side -- note the bird taking the Mick by walking past the other hide with no photographers present -- two even had a fight on the grass in front of this hide when we were 200m away --