spitting feathers

Great fun with otters up at Thetford- thousands of pics must have been taken over recent weeks and almost all closer and better than mine.  But here's a few for the record of the splendid male, with his parti-coloured throat and muzzle in style of a Brazilian Giant Otter.

He seemed in a really feisty mood and twice took a shot at family of Mute Swans, each time sliding gently past them, then once they thought he had gone, leaping completely clear of the water to get up speed and then sharking them from below.   I'm thinking he was doing it out of pure devilment rather than trying to predate them, but he took out quite a mouthful of feathers this time around:

bad dog...

Then a nice orca impression as he dived for the exit..

Bittern revealed

A nice moment from earlier this month- a Bittern just not having quite enough white in its cryptic camo' to disappear successfully against snowy reeds.  So here against the bullrushes it shows up as a warm shadow, just knocking out the whites of the snow when it moves.

The first attempt to paint it on a grand scale was the usual disaster- so the canvas on the easel has been hosed-down and returned to the rack to be recycled another day when orange is again in demand.   Then I've had another shot on some orange card. 

Bittern