A juvenile purple heron, spotted by birdwatcher Ian Elliott, has been seen at Willington Wetlands last week, only the eighth record in the county ever!
They are rare migrants to the UK, with only around 20 records per year. They are normally found in southern Europe, and some parts of northern Africa. But back in 2010 a pair of purple herons bred successfully for the first time in the UK.
(c) Ian Elliott
They are similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but are slightly smaller, more slender and have a darker plumage with an orange chestnut head, neck and breast, and a purple tinge to their wings. They are most active at dawn and dusk, preferring to feed in shallow water, where they can easily grab their prey with their powerful beak.
(c) Ian Elliott
The purple heron usually breeds in colonies. The site they choose is often in reed beds or low bushes close to the water. They build a rather bulky nest of dead reeds and sticks, by pulling the materials tight together to keep it sturdy. The eggs are bluish-green and they lay around four to five eggs, which are laid at intervals during the day. Both parents will share incubation which lasts between 24-28 days.
So how about that! A purple heron sighted at Willington Wetlands. Why not take a visit to our nature reserve and see what you can find? Don't forget to send in your sightings to our records centre too!
