I went to the Lyndon Reserve first this morning and walked to shallow water hide at the western end of the reserve.  It was fairly quiet with a Sparrowhawk observed as I drove down the hill to the entrance and then four Fieldfare, twenty-four Redwings and a Lesser Redpoll as I walked to the hide.  From the hide there was a single Shelduck, a pair of Pintail and a Little Egret and a Buzzard was observed to the west of the reserve.  On the walk back I had two Lesser Redpolls but nothing else of real note.

Probable first-winter Shoveler from tufted duck hide

Two male Shoveler from tufted duck hide

Having received a tweet regarding two Long-tailed Ducks in the north arm I set off for there but after about thirty minutes I still hadn’t found them.  I called Steve who I presumed, correctly, had found them and following his advice went to Barnsdale to look back into the north arm.  I found the two birds almost immediately but they were very distant and appeared much closer to where I had been previously.  I returned to my original position at the end of the north arm and found the two birds immediately.  It was remarkable to see how I missed them previously but they can be difficult particularly if they are feeding.  As I watched them they took to flight and came a lot closer and provided good views through the scope.  It was clear that one was an adult winter female, whilst the other was probably a first-winter female as it was much drabber.  They were constantly diving but I managed to find them frequently with the help of a nearby Goldeneye but I glanced away for a minute and when I looked back the Goldeneye had moved and I was unable to find either of the Long-tailed Ducks again.  A party of Tufted Duck flew in whilst I was searching and contained and single female Scaup.

I eventually gave up and went to the Egleton Reserve why I had lunch before going to the centre.  There appeared to be fewer birds on lagoon one today but I eventually found twenty-five Pintail, a female Goosander, two Little Egrets, four Curlew and the male and female Stonechats.

Great Tit at the Egleton feeding station

I then walked to shoveler hide on lagoon three with Nigel where we stayed for quite some time.  There was very little on the water, with nine Pintail being the best but we did see two distant Red Kites and several Buzzard.  Steve and Terry joined us in the hide but decided to go on to lapwing hide.  Not too long after they had departed Nigel said he had a Bittern and I glanced across confirming a Bittern was out on the edge of the reeds.  However it wasn’t what Nigel had seen but he was pleased that a Bittern had appeared.  As we were watching it a second bird appeared about half way up the reeds and just sat there enjoying the sun.  I called Steve and him and Terry returned but only saw the bird perched in the reeds, which sat there for almost an hour before climbing down and disappearing.  A Green Sandpiper also paid a brief visit, staying only a very short time before flying off.

Green Sandpiper on lagoon three

I left shoveler hide shortly after the Bittern had disappeared and started to make my way back to the car park.  As I walked back I decided to pay a quick visit to redshank hide on lagoon two.  As I scanned there were a few wildfowl and several Moorhen but little else.  I noticed some ripples in the water to my left but on looking from where they had come from there was nothing and I assumed that it was probably a fish.  As I was thinking of leaving I noticed the ripples again but there was still nothing and I felt my initial assumption that it was a fish was correct.  As I continued to look a small brown head appeared and then a Water Vole got out of the water on to the bank before running out of sight.  Several hundred of these mammals have been released over the last two years but this was my first sighting of one, which was a magical end to the day.