I'd seen that there had been views of water rail at the RSPB Otmoor 1st screen and so late in the evening I planned to visit early on Sunday morning. The weather was forecast to be unsettled again but it was still dry as I set off. I arrived on site only stopping by the bench on the bridleway to see if there were any bittern flights. A water railed called from the reeds but didn't show.
Arriving at 1st screen I joined a couple of others watching a garganey in eclipse plumage; a single cattle egret had been there just 15 minutes before but had moved on. The water level has dropped revealing an island to the left of the screen and it was here that a water rail was likely to show, and then it did - a juvenile. Not a great view but clear. Another ten minutes and it reappeared on the far edge of the reeds, a result as I've been chasing this species now for the last few weeks but until now had only heard them.
I waited, hoping for a closer view of water rail when the cattle egret returned but landed on the island in front of the screen with its back to us. Adrian Tysoe and Peter Barker arrived as we had more views of water rail, including another juvenile in the reeds close on the left of the hide. The cattle egret decided to make a move and began walking towards us, eventually stopping to look in our general direction. Dave Lowe also dropped in and picked out a black-tailed godwit over.
Another water rail flew into the bushes beyond the island in front of the screen and hopped around the base but never really showing fully - three separate birds were amazing considering I hadn't seen any this year until now ...
We enjoyed watching numbers of snipe and lapwing build and sheltered as drizzling rain passed through for ten minutes or so. I made to leave but a call went up that the cattle egret had taken to the wing. A few of us swung round as it passed us on the left, landing in the top of a tree - I'm pretty sure it wouldn't find any cattle up there. It didn't stay there very long and when it left, so did I.
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