An entirely unexpected bonus on the Levels

 Yesterday I decided to try and photograph 4 species of heron with the hope of seeing 5 and an outside chance of 6.

Things started well as I arrived on the levels road to be greeted with a field of cattle and cattle egrets

A bonus grey heron in the same spot meant I was 2 down and 2 to go within minutes

My next site was the reserve at Westhay where a purple heron had been seen a few days ago and was therefore my outside chance.

There were several cars parked on the road as the actual car park is currently being resurfaced and a spotted crake had been showing on and off from the island hide.

Arriving at the boardwalk I realised that several people were crowded onto it waiting for bearded tits to appear and feed on grit placed there. So I rapidly retreated and headed a few yards farther along the track and just generally birded.

After  20 mins or so I heard an unusual trilling call from nearby reeds interspersed with bearded tit pings which clearly were being made by the same bird. As it sounded only about 5 metres away I got the recorder out, slung my camera round my neck and stood quietly in the hope the bird would appear.

I was still doing this 15 mins later when I caught a brief movement. Checking with bins I was totally amazed and delighted to realise that I could make out a harvest mouse through the reed heads.

This is a mammal I have wanted to see for many years. Back in my early teens someone brought a couple in an aquarium to a meeting of the Kettering and District Natural History Society and apart from an exhibit at Slimbridge this was my only experience of this diminutive rodent.

I stood absorbed for another 10 mins or so and also managed to take a short wobbly video (shortened further here to protect readers from seasickness).

After a while there was another rustle, perhaps from a bird and the mouse disappeared into the reeds again. 

I was soon joined by another birder and we waited another 20 to 30 mins before , at long last, the bearded tit showed for all of 20 seconds in the base of the reeds, revealing itself as an adult male. That was a real surprise as I had assumed the trilling call was from a juv. Unfortunately I cannot yet post calls on here  but it is definitely worth listening for.

We then heard that several bearded tits were being seen on the boardwalk so headed back for what I assumed would be excellent views. Unfortunately the boardwalk is narrow and we happened to choose a bad time. Visiting toggers were doing the practical session of this year's Masters degree in selfish photography as can be seen by the one shot I got below.

I did not let it get to me and instead tried out the refurbished cafe at the peat moors centre just down the road and had a marvellous bacon sandwich. The very idea of non-vegan fare used to be anathema at the old cafe there so I have not been recently.

The afternoon was spent at Ham wall and Shapwick trying to see more herons. I succeeded with little,

and great white egrets,though very few of either

My best effort at stringing a bittern was a bird I called as I saw a pale brown, slow, wingbeat at reed-top height. Unfortunately it reappeared and was clearly a young marsh harrier so I still await my 5 heron day.

To finish here is a final shot of the star of the show