First confirmed breeding Bittern at nature reserve

The first confirmed breeding Bittern has been recorded at a nature reserve in Dorset, a charity has said.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said the milestone at Lodmoor Nature Reserve marked the first breeding recorded in the county since 1883.

The charity said the female Bittern had been seen making regular feeding flights across the reserve.

It added that while the fledglings have not yet been spotted moving around the reedbeds, its Dorset team is hopeful they will fledge in the coming days.

Bitterns are one of the UK's rarest breeding herons and are very secretive, spending most of their lives hidden within dense reedbeds.

Reedbed loss, wetland drainage and hunting, drove them to extinction as breeding birds in Britain by the late 19th Century.

Although they began to recover during the 20th Century, numbers fell to just 11 booming males by 1997.

The charity said it led research in partnership with Natural England, which identified the habitat conditions Bitterns need to thrive, helping shape reedbed management that is still used today.

In a social media post, RSPB England said the return of breeding Bitterns to Dorset was a "testament to the careful management of these wetland landscapes".

"At RSPB Radipole and Lodmoor, we've focused on improving the condition of the reedbeds through reed cutting, carefully managing water levels, grazing, creating and maintaining pools and ditches, and reconnecting RSPB Lodmoor to the sea to allow more fish to enter the reserve.

"Hopefully the perfect conditions for Bitterns to breed here long into the future."