"I went to look for Bitterns on Christmas Day, having nothing better to do. Given the rarity of the species this might be considered optimistic. It was not a fool's errand, however, because of the local gravel pits are a winter haunt of this fascinating bird. Rarity along may be sufficient cause for people to make pilgrimages to see some birds, but this is not the case for the Bittern. Even if it were as common as the Grey Heron, it would still be worth a winter's walk."