A day further a field at Yorkshires hot spot for Bitterns. It's been a few years since I've been at Potteric Carr and things have changed a lot. There's a visitor centre and cafe. The reserve it's self has expanded, new paths and new parts bought for the good of nature. I must say it is a great reserve and a brill place for a day out website at www.potteric-carr.org.uk. Well it was for Bittern, Wlllow Tit and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that we went. We made our way around to the cafe first for dinner and a cuppa finding on our way Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits with Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds. After dinner we went across to the bird feeding hide at Willow Marsh. we saw more Great and Blue Tits on the feeders with Chaffinch and Greenfinch, the hoped for Willow Tit we had to wait for but one bird did put in brief appearance. Off we then went around to Piper Marsh one of the Bittern hot spots making our way thru Black Carr Wood. We didn't see the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but on our arrival at the hide we did get good views of Kingfisher in on of the islands. A few Chiffchaffs were also making themselves known by their distinctive calls. Gadwall, Shovelers, Teal and Mallards could all been seen at Piper Marsh along with Great Crested and Little Grebes. It was here that we got reports of Bittern seen at Decoy Marsh so off we went making our way slowly round seeing Bullfinch, Grey Wagtail on our way. We finally arrived at Decoy Marsh hide with nobody there. So we started scanning the reed fringes to no avail. We sat awhile scanning and scanning with more people arriving, more eyes looking but not finding. It was then after about 20 minutes that my wife said there's something moving over there in the reed edge, there it was one Bittern moving slowly in the reeds. It was with that that we made our way back to the car, we didn't look at the newly bought part at Huxter Well Marsh but if you want a great day out this is a place to go. There's also Lakeside near by which always turns up good birds on passage. Look at the website  for bird news