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On 23rd December 2010 the Linc Wildlfife Trust's North Regional Warden witnessed a very unusual sight, during the prolonged extreme freeze, outside the Management Centre at Far Ings NNR. He realised how rare an experience he had witnessed and penned a few words to record it. He has allowed me to put his words onto this forum and I thank him for that as I think those who read it will be fascinated.
Here are those words:
"I was talking on the telephone on the morning of the 23rd December and looking out of my first floor office window. It took a few seconds to register with me that looking down, framed by the window like a photograph, was a bittern stood by the edge of the tiny Newt Pond in front of the Ness End Centre.
The pond was frozen solid as are all the large pits at Far Ings and they have been for many days. Obviously, all birds which make a living from fishing are under critical stress at present due to the severity and length of the extreme low temperatures and recent snowfalls. We have been attempting to feed the bitterns (up to three individuals on the reserve) with whitebait and day - old chicks, with uncertain success.
The bittern at the Newt Pond was a very striking bird, light brown with pronounced, long, black neck stripes and I watched it for a while against good sunlight, transfixed. Then all of a sudden it stalked forward across the pond and strode over to the Pyrocanthus bush in front of the building and began to peck at it. Presumably it was after berries but, alas, these had already all been taken by the recent influx of hundreds of blackbirds, redwings and fieldfares that winter has brought in. A minute later the bittern moved to the centre of the lawn and raised and flapped its wings and then shook itself. I was amazed at how good a condition it was in. I had heard a report of two skinny looking bitterns on Hotel Pit a week ago but the thing is they are ectomorphic herons after all. I once held a bittern in my hands to treat it for an injury and it was all feathers and carried not even enough meat for a sandwich!
The bittern then moved over to the corner of the lawn, within a couple of metres of the body of a dead redwing which had, no doubt, hit a window in a desperate flight from a pursuing sparrowhawk. Would the bittern resort to eating this carrion? It seemed not to notice the redwing. So I carefully opened the front door and lobbed onto the lawn a couple of chicks. No response. Finally, knowing that there were moorhens lurking about awaiting a random gift, I opened a window and threw out a slice of bread hoping that they would run in and attract the bittern's attention to the nearby chicks or even the bread. But the opening of the window was enough to disturb the bittern and off it flew, quite strongly, to the "New Pits" across the road.
I was heartened to see this bittern looking so well. And yesterday a kingfisher was spotted on the reserve - a real surprise in such conditions. Such species must have more survival strategies and resilience than we know of. But let us all hope a for a thaw very, very soon. With all these dramas going on daily it is intolerably difficult to concentrate on office work..."
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