They are normally very furtive. I guess Slimbridge is one place where there are reedbeds and plenty of people moving about, so they are not so shy there.
They are a species its hardly worth 'trying' to see- it just happens occassionally. There are plenty in reedbeds near me but I very rarely see them-but occassionally you will hear the weird noise they make, like a pig squeal, which is proof they are nearby. Tip; They sometimes show better in very hard/cold weather when reedbeds/mud are frozen and they have to forage more out in the open.
They are a species its hardly worth 'trying' to see- it just happens occassionally. There are plenty in reedbeds near me but I very rarely see them-but occassionally you will hear the weird noise they make, like a pig squeal, which is proof they are nearby. Tip; They sometimes show better in very hard/cold weather when reedbeds/mud are frozen and they have to forage more out in the open.
A friend and I saw one at Barn Elms last December under precisely those circumstances, as well as two bitterns. It almost made the frostbite worthwhile!!
Nice shot!
I had my best ever views in the hard weather last winter too. There were four or five scurrying around near the causeway at Leighton Moss - I thought they were some sort of rodent until one walked through a shaft of sunlight.
As one of the UK birders who didn't ID this bird earlier, sorry for not doing so! I can remember being in California at the age of 35 and feeling like a seven year old with all those unfamiliar birds - I guess it must be the same in reverse!
