Tuesday 20th. December 2011

After not getting out yesterday , today I was delayed by a dentist appointment , so I didn't get to Sevenoaks Reserve until nearly 11 o'clock . The sun was out , but a chilly wind was blowing down the site . The Public hide was full with a group , so after checking out the area from behind the screens and finding the usual species , but no sign of the Common Snipe , I headed down to the Tower Hide , which was standing right in line with that wind , and not surprisingly didn't have much in the water in front . Having seen a report of a Water Rail at Slingsby Hide , the two of us , me and the Robin , settled down to watch the flooded ditch , the top end still in the sunshine . During the stay , not even a Wren moved in the ditch , and if hadn't been again for the odd Reed Bunting ,

nothing would have been seen at all . Heading back to the entrance , a few small flocks of Siskins were seen , but they always settled high in trees with the sun behind them . On a stump , I found

three different species of fungi , the large orangey one , Velvet Shank /Flammulina velutipes , the small white edged bracket , Many-zoned Polypore /Coriolus versicolour and in amongst the two , Stag's Head or Candle -snuff Fungus / Xylaria hypoxilon . With the sun rapidly giving way to grey clouds , I walked the other side of the East Lake , finding no new species . Heading for Long Lake , I met another birder who asked if I had seen the Bittern . He said that Willow Hide was full , probably the group that I encountered earlier , but you could see the bird from the screen to the side of the

hide . I made my way to the screen , and in the distance , sitting up on the reedbed , was indeed a Bittern . Trouble was , the light was going quickly and the bird was about 100 mtrs. away . After  a couple of minutes , the group started to leave , making some room in the hide , which I eagerly filled . I got a few more shots and very soon after the last group member left , the bird dropped back down into the reedbed . Whilst waiting and hoping that it would show again , three Mute Swans , one

a juvenile flew in and landed noisily very close to the reedbed . The sun was completely gone by now

and things didn't look good , when out popped the Bittern again , but this time infront of the reedbed . At one point , it left the reedbed completely , but returned very quickly when a Sparrowhawk

panicked everything in the area , and the Bittern assumed it's head up - you can't see me pose . Two families came separately into the hide before I left , and both managed to get their first sighting of a

Bittern ,but shortly after the second family managed to see it , the Bittern slipped back into the reedbed and stayed unseen for some time . By now , I was feeling decidedly chilly , and the flask of hot soup that was in the car was calling me . I hope the last family got another sighting , but the weather was going further downhill by the minute . I had my late lunch in the car and warmed up , an in the horse paddock on the track leading out to the road , finished off the visit with not one , as it

was on a previous visit , but two Egyptian Geese . Heading home , the only stop made was near Keston Church , where I found the first flower buds of Winter Heliotrope / Petasites fragrans ,

usually the first flowers of the year , but beaten by the Primroses found in flower whilst coppicing last Saturday .
I have also dug up some info on the icicle , but I have more digging to do .