Apparently, when the bittern cleared off, birdwatchers had surrounded the whole pond. It was inevitable large numbers were gonna be there. Why couldn't people watch from a little distance back. There is plenty of room there. I am all for birders seeing birds but they must conduct themselves in the correct manner.
That is totally incorrect. I was there when it flew.
No birders encroached the birds space and it was a good orderly group of birders and photographers right up to the birds departure.
I was with postcardcv until he left and stayed there until the bird flew at 10:23. I know that time is correct as I took a photo of it at 10:22 just seconds before it took off.
There is a possibility that this bird may still be nearby, as just after it flew it circled and may have come down in the field to the left of the pool. A few went to look (including me) but it is vastly overgrown in there and would be very hard to find.
Back to the Bittern.
The only time the bird looked alarmed was when members of the public used the paths at the side of the pool. These are public footpaths and walkers and dog walkers were using them fairly frequently. Each time someone used them the Bittern would go into its head up routine.
Just before 10am it started to move up the bank a bit then stretched and preened before settling down. About ten minutes later it moved higher up, stretched and preened then settled down again. About ten minutes later it started to walk along the very back of the vegetation behind the pool and eventually reached the path at the left side of the pool, stuck its head over the path, looked both ways and took off. At no time were any birders any closer than they had been for the last 90 minutes. In fact those at the side were in a straight line and were in fact further away from the bird.
Whether or not 50+ people being there was instrumental in the bird leaving I can't say but it looked perfectly contented with life right up until it flew off.
It will take me a while before I edit all the photos (I have quite a few W C Sparrow photos as well) but I have a photo of the birds head seconds before it took off and will post it on this thread, along with some other photos I took. Hopefully you can judge for yourselves if this bird looked harassed.
John
Edit
I managed to crop and edit the last photo I took and here it is. This was taken about ten seconds before it flew.