Saturday 30th October - A tale of two Herons

So a plan was hatched Friday morning when Gary Howard called to see whether I was interested in a trip to Cornwall as an American Bittern had been reported on Thursday night,  having been present on a common near Zennor for 4 days. As the day progressed, the reports suggested that the last sighting had been around 11am and reports of potential birder disturbance suggested the bird had at best gone to ground. Despite this, we decided to go, as we knew that even if the bird wasn't there we would have a good day, as we generally do.

Gary picked me up at around 11.30pm on Friday and we loaded up his car to a calling Tawny Owl. After a brief 20 winks at Exeter we arrived at Zennor around 5.30am, caught the other 20 winks and then set off (uphill !) from the car park just after 7am still in the dark. A gathering of about 100 birders were on a minor road which overlooked some boggy ground with a small pool covered mostly in gorse and brambles with a little sedge, where it was presumed the bird must be if it was still there. Flyover Redwings, Fieldfares, Siskins and some distant Golden Plovers and a Wheatear were seen by about 9am although the masses were getting slightly aggitated at no sign of the Bittern, when suddenly the American Bittern errupted out of the sedges just in front of us and flew a few hundred yards south and appeared to land in another gorse field. We wandered down the road with the crowd but on deciding there was no view of the field where it landed, Gary and I decided to walk further down the road and a few minutes later the bird was again flying this time quite high and afforded good scope views clinching some of the plumage features, including the chestnut head-colouring and stripes down neck and breast. Then an aerial assualt by a Peregrine caused the bittern to head for the earth, quickly raising its head feathers in a crest-like display to try and fend off the Peregrine which was joined for the hell of it by two crows - The American Bittern was having a bad day ! and was again out of sight near some distant farm buildings. We stayed around the area until 11.30am, without the Bittern making a further appearance, also seeing Greenland White-fronted Goose (4), Buzzard (2), Goldcrest. We debated the future wellbeing of this bird as although we coudn't see it feeding, it wasn't blindingly obvious that there was an abundance of food in this chosen area, which is presumably why it was taking to flight to try and find suitable feeding habitat.

After a welcome snack at the cafe in Zennor, we then headed towards the Lost Gardens of Heligan, stopping briefly at the Hayle Estuary on route, where we added Whooper Swan (3), Ruff (1), Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Egret and lots of Wigeon and Teal.

We arrived at Heligan at 2.30pm and after a short walk, adding Firecrest, we were watching our 2nd american heron of the day, the Green Heron. We spent a decent couple of hours watching this delightful bird, very at home and very succesfully devouring fish on 2 small ponds that it was frequenting, we saw it catch over 20 in the time we were there. It would seem to have a much better chance of survival than its american cousin in the gorse field. Photo opportunities were good, although anyone wanting to look at good bird pics generally should really have a look on Gary's website http://www.garyhowardsbirdsandwildlife.com/ as his photos are exceptional !

We spent the journey back listening to the Football and then the phone-in debates, where we thought there should be a '606 for Birders' on the way home from Saturday birding. A Chinese takeaway to re-fuel Gary for his drive back to Kent ended a pretty exceptional day - Cheers Mate !





Birders waiting for the American Bittern

 



View back to Zennor from 'Bittern Hill'

 





Green Heron - Lost Gardens of Heligan

 
 




The Green Heron thinks it's invisible in its Bittern pose amongst the reeds.

   







Green Heron - fish definitely on the menu.