Squacco Heron

Early morning WeBS at Hook/Sprinkle, highlights were 24 Greenshank, 1 Blackwit, 2 Barwits, 4 Grey Plover & 6 Knot.

Then down to Dale, first to Dale Fort where the highlight was a Firecrest in the garden at Point House, and then south through Castlebeach to a pond by the coast path where a Reed Warbler showed well. On to Dale Village where birding was rapidly interrupted by a call to Birdline which revealed a SQUACCO HERON at Angle - after a frustrating 55 minute drive (it is only 5 miles in a straight line from Dale!) we arrived and scoured the area by the bridge and then the old harbour with no luck. Wellies on and a walk on the saltmarsh above the bridge, just after Paul exclaimed that it couldn't be in a creek so narrow, out it came (a victory for random fieldcraft & perserverence)! It perched in the open at around 20 feet range, and over the next hour and a half moved around the harbour, giving good views at times, before going back into the saltmarsh above the bridge at 17:45. I would assume it is a juvenile/first-winter as it had some brown markings on the coverts in flight.

Thanks to Trystan Parry for finding it, identifying it with the help of the internet, and making the effort to put the news out through Birdline. We owe him one! He suspects it has been around a week or so, as he previously saw a small brownish heron on the bridge one day and initially dismissed it as a juvenile Little Egret as in flight as it was largely white - well done to him for persevering when he saw it again this morning.
(Dave A & Paul G)