Thursday 14 March 2013

Smew, Bittern, and Marsh Harrier





This looked like a good start to the day. Two drake Smew, five redheads, and a Bittern sitting in the reeds behind them.



Taken from the ARC hide Dungeness


It being a crisp, bright, and sunlit winters day we had driven down to Dungeness in the hope of just such pictures. If only I could have gotten a bit closer, but there was a lot of water between them and me and they had no intention of coming over to give me better views.



Drake Smew - a long way off


Showing off to the ladies


And "too distant for a good picture" turned out to be the theme for the day.



Bittern flying - too distant


Marsh Harrier flying - too distant


Another Marsh Harrier - too distant


Avocet - too distant (at Rye Harbour)



We had a good day and saw a lot of birds including the scarce Smew. In fact this was my first sight of a Drake Smew in the wild. Overall though, it was disappointing to have returned home without a couple of really good pictures. Sometimes it just doesn't happen for you.






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