Spotter or birder?

We went to Leighton Moss yesterday and just as we got into the hide we heard the magic words "bittern to the right, flying over the field". The bittern is one of those birds which is exceedingly elusive, and each time we go to the reserve Q is desperate to find one.  I failed to see any wings of any sort, bitterns or otherwise, Q said she saw a brown blur in the appropriate place, but then rather blew her ornithological knowledge by whispering to me that she didn't realise they could actually fly. Luckily no one else in the hide heard her comment as we were in the company of EXPERTS. The two bittern spotters each had lenses the size of small sheds and as they left to see if they could follow the flight of the bittern a derisory voice was heard saying "Spotters! pah, they're not birders; you need binoculars, not a camera to watch birds properly". We didn't have our binoculars; but even if we had remembered them, they would not  have passed muster  in such erudite company. We did have our cameras, but again our paltry lenses couldn't put us in any spotters' league. Anyway we don't really spot let alone identify  many birds unless they stay still for about 5 minutes.

The robins of Leighton Moss are not at all camera shy and are willing little posers. The top left robin was flitting about near the reed beds and came and ate food out of one of the visitor's hands.




The marsh tit was a first - luckily for us there was an identification board right near the picnic table.

It's a long time since I have seen a greenfinch.

The reasons for the cages around some of the feeders became apparent!