Every spring a few purple herons turn up in the UK. These gorgeous birds are summer migrants, returning to wetlands in Europe to nest. The birds that arrive in the UK are the ones that have been a bit too enthusiastic and overshot their usual destinations. Their spring arrivals could also be seen as a way of a few individuals pushing the boundaries of the bird’s usual distribution, looking for opportunities to establish new breeding areas. Purple heron have long been on the list of birds that are known as ‘potential colonists’. This is a list that has been of greater interest recently as the changing climate has been pushing breeding populations northwards.
When two purple herons turned up at Dungeness a few weeks ago it could easily have been just another overshoot – a line in the reserve log a chance for some lucky bird-watchers to see these jazzy herons – and here’s a picture of one of the actual birds (courtesy David Featherbe).
For over 100 years the RSPB has been protecting nesting birds at Dungeness – in the early years we employed seasonal watchers to protect nesting seabirds from the ravages of egg collectors and disturbance. While many things have changed over the decades it is still necessary to protect rare birds from those who wish them harm – so we have team of modern watchers deployed with the latest gizmos to keep a close eye on the birds. It may not be as bad as the days when Edwardian collector-naturalists were out and about, but, unbelievably in the early years of the 21st century, it’s still a risk we need to take into account. (Here’s a picture of watchers at Dungeness from the 1920s).
But regular readers of this blog will not need reminding that there is a bigger issue afoot at Dungeness. Proposed expansion of Lydd airport threatens to add significantly to the pressures on this special site. As our team patiently watch over the purple herons we await a decision from our new Government on whether the proposals to expand the airport will be called in for examination at a public inquiry.
The local authority, Shepway District Council, have approved the plans of the airport despite their own planning officers advising that it should have been refused. So far, around 14,000 people have been moved to contact the Government Office of the South East requesting that this application is called in. If you are one of those people, can I offer you my heart-felt thanks? But we are not there yet, the crucial decision is awaited any day and there’s still time to help – you can find out more here.
This old rhyme seems oddly appropriate:
The fault is great in man or womanWho steals a goose from off a common;But what can plead that man's excuseWho steals a common from a goose?
Though changing goose to heron doesn’t quite work!
At the moment there’s not much to see – and while Dungeness is full of spring wildlife at the moment, visitors will be extremely unlikely to see the purple herons. We’ll keep you posted as the season progresses.