Another winter trip to Brandon Marsh.

Decided this morning to go to Brandon Marsh again and try for the Green-winged Teal that so far has been hiding from me and my camera.

It was very gloomy when I got there so not so good for getting decent shots.I headed for the River Pool Hide as it usually is seen there but when I went to walk down the path leading to that hide I was met not with a path but a new tributary of the river Avon.Off to the East Marsh hide then which,as it turned out, was a good move because it was on this pool with some of his mates but unfortunately right across the far bank.Did get some pics but the distance and the gloom made getting decent shots impossible.

As we were trying to get shots of the GW Teal a mate and myself failed to act quick enough when a Bittern flew right across the front of the hide to land in the reeds to the left of the hide.It quickly scurried across the channel to disappear from site.Much later in the day it flew off towards the Newlands and shortly after it was followed by another one that had been in the right hand reed bed without anyone knowing it had been there.Got a couple of shots of one in the channel but failed again to get a flight shot when they both flew off.

A brief visit to the Carlton hide produced very little except a Jay that kept flying around and Pete Walkden with his new super lens.Always nice to see Pete.I hope the Bitterns showed for him.