Peterborough Bird Club :: Juvenile Purple Heron on the Nene Washes

On the morning of the Wednesday 19th September, Jonathan Taylor found a juvenile Purple Heron on the Nene Washes. The bird originally favoured the dykes by fields 48 and 49, just east of the corral but proved to be very flighty. Steve Dudley was first on the scene and bird eventually flew up at 11.20 and flew slightly further east, being pushed no doubt by the south-west wind.

The bird had appeared to land in a dyke running towards the Nene, but close to the Drove. Peter Beesley and I walked carefully to where the bird had apparently gone down but after a few minutes there appeared to be no sign. Then the sound of a large bird flapping it’s wings and Peter saying “There it is” made me look round, the Heron flew off north-east towards the river, having obviously only been 10 feet away from us, without us knowing!

After hanging in the wind for a bit, the bird touched down on the Nene but thankfully reappeared shortly afterwards and landed back on the washes. We headed to the very end of the drove to see where it had gone down but had no success for 15 minutes or so. Then suddenly, whilst on the phone to Brian Stone who was on his way, the bird got up from the back of the last field to the north of the drove and headed out to Garners, where it landed behind a rusty tanker.

Brian positioned himself at Eldernell but there was no further sign for the rest of the day. Over the next few days, the Heron was seen by a small number of people but proved extremely elusive, with no set routine. Eventually, in early October the bird gave itself up more easily and most local birders wishing to see the bird had connected, with many non-local birders also calling in for this rarity from the continent.

In the above two photos note the lack of blue/grey on the mantle and black head plumes usual with adult birds. This bird shows a typical brown juvenile plumage, reminiscent of a plain Bittern.

It seems likely that this bird was the one seen heading north-east on the 12th at Thrapston Reservoir after a brief stay there. Remarkably, in early October, it came out that another juvenile was present on the Ouse Washes from the 23rd September until the 14th October at least.

The Nene Washes bird was still present on the 10th October and looks to be well settled in what must be perfect habitat conditions. The bird is best located currently by walking west along the barrier bank from Eldernell car park, past Lord’s Holt and checking any dykes on the washes from here. It also feeds on banks of the Morton’s Leam and has been observed on the barrier bank on several occasions.

It has also favoured to the east of the car park, where it can be found in the dykes on the washes just past the fishing ponds to the south of the barrier bank and again also feeds on Morton’s Leam. Please be aware that this bird is extremely wary and try not to approach it too much if it is on the Leam or south barrier bank.

The last record in the area was in September 1995 when a juvenile was present at Maxey GP. Currently the latest Purple Heron ever to recorded in Britain goes to a 1st winter bird on Nicolas Watts’ land near Deeping St Nicolas, which was present from the 6th- 30th November 1986, on which date it was found date.

Will Bowell, 15th October 2007.

Article featured in Limosa limosa, October 2007. No 103. © Will Bowell