I'm not a per se a bird watcher but from time to time I notice different birds. Last Friday in the centre of Buntingford, wading in the River Rib, I saw what I believe to be a little blue heron. I'd never seen one before let alone heard of one. I understand they are native to North America and I haven't seen any references to sitings in the U K. Has anyone seen one in the U K themselves?
Rowlly said:A friend has suggested it might have been a European egret
The three species of egret that we get in the UK (ie. Cattle, Great and Little) are all pure white and are unmistakable. I would have thought what you saw was most likely to have been a Grey Heron. If it was wading in the river it may have looked smaller than if it had been fully visible. Like this for example.
EDIT Crossed with Robbo's post
I was wondering about a juvenile or adult grey heron in poor light, particularly as egrets are generally white.
With most smart devices today, you can get a crude photo with the added bonus if you have the GPS switched on, that should confirm your location. Many cameras will have GPS, but not that many.