Calvert BBOWT; Great Crested Grebes doing weed display dance
We are pretty sure the Bittern bonanza is now over, with the last one leaving on night of 25 February.
This winter the first one arrived 29/12/08, and this built to a definite 5 by early February. It then reduced to four, with 2-3 remaining until 21 February and the last 2 to 24.
Nearly a month of daily superb close views of them feeding, fighting, flying, roosting and croaking!! They were watched every day for most of the daylight hours, enabling accurate counts and fascinating behaviour to be noted.
I do hope the many, many visitors who witnessed this rare event went away pleased!! This occurence is the best ever reason for joining BBOWT if you are not already a member.
You must be a member to visit the reserve. BBOWT will do its best to manage habitat to try and attract them again next winter and have just agreed to Mink control. A Mink was seen a few times in reedbeds including the 2 days before the last Bittern was seen and this may have prompted them along with the mild weather to move off.
Tim Watts (honorary BBOWT warden)
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