As I cycled to work this morning along Newton Lane, I glanced across Cedric’s Flash (the pool on the left if you’re coming from Allerton Bywater) and saw a distinctly heron-shaped bird flap down onto the water. However, it was a lot darker than herons usually are (and in my early morning haze had to double check it wasn’t a cormorant or crow!). But no, it was definitely a heron.
I didn’t give it much thought until John G, a member of the RSPB Fairburn Ings Advisory group, came excitedly into the visitor centre an hour and a half later to say he’d seen a purple heron that morning. Thankfully I’d had my morning cuppa by then and the cogs started to turn...after a quick google images search for “flying purple heron” I was able to confirm that was indeed what I’d seen too!
Their grey cousins are more widespread in the UK, and purple herons are mostly found in Southern and Central Europe and Northern Africa. Purple herons don’t usually breed in the UK but last year saw the first known successful breeding pair, at RSPB Dungeness. There’s a theory that many birds who are used to warmer climes are migrating north more and more because of climate change.
Other sightings this week include an osprey and a hobby on the flashes, as well as dunlins, redshanks and sanderlings. There have been loads of interesting things spotted at Lin Dike such as a peregrine and barn owl on Wednesday, redshanks and kestrels on Thursday and a little stint and ringed plover on Saturday. Kingfishers have been spotted every day this week, mostly at Pickup hide, and cuckoos have been heard from the visitor centre. We’ve also had lots of butterflies and dragonflies about, with many common blues being spotted as well as small coppers, large skipper, green veined white, and red admirals.