Bitter - n !

I had the afternoon off today so I thought I would go to Linton Lane to catch up with the geese.
When I arrived two Redwing flew overhead down the lane.
There were a few Teal, Mute Swan ect on the small pond and 60+ Canada Geese, 6 Greylag Geese ect on the big pond but no sign of any Bean or White fronted.
I tried my luck at East Chevington next where 20+ Pink Footed Geese flew over towards Druridge and Cresswell. Then it started to snow, rain and hail stone all at the same time so off to Cresswell pond.
It was gettting dark when I arrived at 4:00pm and a birder in the hide said I had just missed the Bittern by 15 minutes. I sat for about ten minutes where I saw a water rail chase a group of snipe in front of the far east reeds.
After a while a group of lapwing flew past the hide and thats when I saw a short eared owl looking bird follow them past the hide over the reeds.
I ran out of the hide but no sign of anything. Five minutes later I was switching off when I looked at the road above the reeds to the east and thought thats a crap colour for a car, Holy S**t thats a Bittern! (Lifer)
It circled the reeds before flying up high off towards the north west, probably to Chevington for the night. I managed to watch it for a few minutes more as it flew off over the horizon.
On my way back to the car a Barn owl began hunting over the small pond, I stood still to watch it and it flew past my head looking straight at me. I was so close I could hear its wings beating.
What a day, well worth freezing half to death for.
On my way back into Cramlington I was diverted because of an explosion at the industrial eatate!
Also thanks to Birding sometimes for confirming that on saturday it was a Hume's Leaf Warbler not a Yellow Browed I saw at ST.Marys.