Oscar writes: Early April last year saw me in Suffolk hoping to photograph Bitterns. Unfortunately I had no luck with them and they stayed very elusive for the duration of my stay. Luckily this Little Egret was a lot more cooperative, spending a lot of time feeding in the new green reeds in front of the hide and giving plenty of photographic opportunities. Despite its beak being slightly deformed at the top, this seemed to have no adverse affect on its hunting.
Nikon D800, Nikon 600mm f/4 AF-S II lens
[registration_form]
Come to Shapwick/ Ham Wall, Oscar ! Apart from several fantastic views of Bittern on the edge of the reedbed- one perched precariously on a reed ! what has amazed me in recent years has been the mating chases – males flying after females at maybe 100 feet for up to 15 minutes at a time. My photos always come out as silhouettes – I suspect yours wouldn’t !
It’s been a place I’ve been meaning to get to for a while but spring is always difficult for me as I always have exams! I’ve only seen the mating chases once before but they’re amazing!