We've seen the heron a few times in the park since. Also, a kingfisher on Wednesday evening.
Yesterday we went to Minsmere for the day. Saw one bittern, heard another booming, and saw a number of marsh harriers. Also, a small swarm of bees on a post.
Lucky man, I've never seen or even heard a bittern. Mind you I don't exactly live near any marshy flatlands so its not surprising.
A couple of years ago Jan and I spent the day at Minsmere with My Pal Terry Who Art In Sibton. Terry is a keen ornithologist and has even verged towards twitching in the past. Given that Sibton is only a short distance from Minsmere, he has been a regular there over the past 40 years or so.
On the day we went in 2017, we saw about 6 bitterns and, for the real purists the highlight of the day, a purple heron. Whilst everyone in The Bittern Hide trained their lenses on the purple heron, which was very hard to see because it was hiding itself so well in the reedbed, a bittern appeared right in front of the hide and showed itself spectacularly for a good 15 minutes. I took about 50 almost identical photographs of it in classical "hunting bittern" pose.
Terry said as we were leaving that it was one of the best days he had ever had at Minsmere. It was only our second or third visit.