Hatch Pond Bitterns

After this morning's success adding new birds to the list of species I have seen within walking distance of home, I decided to push my luck a bit further and carry on to Hatch Pond.

This seems such a short drive from home but on foot, once you leave the sweep of Holes Bay, it is a fairly thankless trudge past McDonalds, PC World, the Premier Inn and Lidl. When you smell the sewage treatment works and see the bright lights of Burger King you know you are getting closer.

Immediately on arrival the small crowd gathered pointed out a Bittern in the reedbed immediately below the viewpoint. Two more showed further out even though it was still only four o'clock. A Cetti's Warbler also sat up in the reeds - 2 excellent species for the 'walked from home' list! Water Rail heard but not seen would have been a good hat-trick...