Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Lolham Bridges, Peterborough - 19 September 2002

I first found this bird on 25 May 2001 when it flew over me on the Nene Washes RSPB reserve late in the evening. A week or so later, it was located by RSPB research staff on the reserve when it was seen to be colour ringed - a certain escape.

On evening of 27 May 2002, I saw what was almost certainly the same bird flying over the RSPB reserve and dropping down into Bassenhally Pits.

Then in September 2002, Bob Titman relocated what is thought to be the same bird at Lolham, well to the north-west of the washes.

After this sequence of sightings, I started to dig around locally and from other sightings of birds by others and information from the old Peakirk Wildfowl Trust, it appears that we may well have three free-flying Night Herons in the Peterborough area. Two birds are ringed (one ex-Peakirk) and one bird is unringed (ex-Peakirk).

The ex-Peakirk ringed individual has a yellow(ish) coil ring on its right leg, unlike this bird which has a bright red (appears closed) colour ring on its right leg and a copper-coloured closed (avicultural-type) ring on its left leg,

At 9.50pm on 19 July 2003, Katie Fuller and I saw a Night Heron flying from the Lord's Holt area of the Nene Washes towards the River Nene. The same bird that I have seen in 2001 and 2002? Almost certainly.

19 September 2002

Nikon Coolpix 995 + Leica APO Televid 77 with 20xWA

© Steve Dudley