I Don't Knowwhat I Saw

[MauriceMynah]

Leaving Sutton Broad the other day I saw a bird (Yes I know that much!) in flight it looked like a heron, but not quite. It was heron shaped, and heron sized, and it landed in the reed margin. As I passed, it flew off. That's when I saw why I thougt it couldn't be a heron. The plumage was brown.

Oooh I thought! Bittern I thought.  but no..., surely not. It was as I said, heron sized. I thought bitterns were somewhat smaller than herons. I didn't see it for long enough to give any further detals other than the plumage seemed to be flat brown, not the more speckled brown of a bittern, though there I could be mistaken.

Ok, to all you twitchers out there,any idea what I saw? 

[Wussername]

A Bheton?

 

[Wussername]

A relative of the Oozlum bird. 

 

[Vaughan]

If you imagine a heron with no neck, then that is what a Bittern looks like in flight.

They fly steadily in a straight line, just like a Heron.

Sutton Broad is certainly a place where you would find them, especially in the early morning.

If it was smaller than a heron, it was probably one of this year's young ones, which are a lot less timid than the adults.

[Vaughan]

12 minutes ago, Wussername said:

A relative of the Oozlum bird.

Out in those flat marshes, it was probably a relative of the "OO me goolie" bird!

[Vaughan]

"And in the next cage, ladies and gentlemen . . . "

[ExSurveyor]

Could be an Egret, saw a couple this morning, like a heron only smaller and brown.

[Wussername]

14 minutes ago, psychicsurveyor said:

Could be an Egret, saw a couple this morning, like a heron only smaller and brown.

Egrets are white. Surely?

[unclemike]

1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said:

to all you twitchers out there,any idea what I saw? 

was this before or after the partaking of much falling down water?

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Now I dont know my birds around here but last week there was what looked like a Heron to me flying low over the water on the Yare, it "landed" on the water and stayed there for around eight seconds or so then flew off with a large fish in its mouth.

Later on there was a fish which appeared to be jumping out of the water and making a large splash but always in the same spot then we spotted the angler so guess the fish was putting up a fight which it eventually won, Fish 1 Angler 0 as my companion said.

[Regulo]

 

43 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Now I dont know my birds around here but last week there was what looked like a Heron to me flying low over the water on the Yare, it "landed" on the water and stayed there for around eight seconds or so then flew off with a large fish in its mouth.

It's not unknown for herons to do this. I've seen it three times in 20 years. Definitely herons.

[Heron]

MM my wife and I saw a Bittern a few days ago just up stream from Barton Broad flying over the trees, probably the same one, we know they are about in the area.

 

[marshman]

Almost certainly a bittern - no sure why you would think it otherwise? As Vaughan said, could be a young one, with the plumage not fully developed- bitterns in flight are more "stumpy" and although they are smaller than herons, marginally, it is not always apparent when they are standing erect in the reeds.

There are certainly more sightings of bitterns these days as they have become more common and it is certainly, very much, bittern territory. Unless you were quite close , you might not spot that it is a little smaller but like humans, birds vary in size and there is very little else it could have been!

[vanessan]

2 hours ago, psychicsurveyor said:

Could be an Egret, saw a couple this morning, like a heron only smaller and brown.

 

2 hours ago, Wussername said:

Egrets are white. Surely?

Definitely white. 

[vanessan]

Sounds to me as if you’ve had sight of the elusive bittern MM, more than a lot of people have. 

[ExSurveyor]

3 hours ago, Wussername said:

Egrets are white. Surely?

Thats my new job at BBC Birdwatch out of the window

[OldBerkshireBoy]

4 minutes ago, psychicsurveyor said:

Thats my new job at BBC Birdwatch out of the window

If you can read from a script whilst smiling all is not lost. 

[FairTmiddlin]

2 hours ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

If you can read from a script whilst smiling all is not lost. 

Nowadays it's an autocue

Scriptwriting as it happens

 

[Vaughan]

 

 

Best I could get from a distance, I am afraid.

[marshman]

Why didn't you message him to come round again, only closer, slower and lower? 

 

[Wussername]

A wonderful picture nevertheless.

[grendel]

6 hours ago, psychicsurveyor said:

Thats my new job at BBC Birdwatch out of the window

(r)egrets, I have had a few, but then again too few to mention