03/07/2015 Squacco Heron at Southease in East Sussex

Friday 3rd July 2015
Southease near Lewes, East Sussex

I managed to push my UK Life List total one step closer to the magical 300 when I made the short journey from home to Southease, on the River Ouse, to see a Squacco Heron.  This was reported first by Chris Barfield.

I was just settling down to watch TV from Wimbeldon and the ladies 3rd round tie  between Heather Watson and Serena Williams when I got a call from Bridget and Paul to say the heron had been reported at Southease.  Within 30 minutes I was watching the bird along with about 20 other birders.  I even managed to get back home just in time to see the end of this classic match.

• The bird was showing well some 5 metres east of the waters edge.  The bright sunshine provided the best possible light to show it's awesome plumage.  For fully 30 minutes we watched in admiration with the Heron changing position only once to walk closer to the water.

Squacco Heron
Library picture

• Eventually it flew about 50 metres NE, over a bank, down into the long grass and out of sight.  At this point we decided to leave, thankful for such good views of such a lovely bird.

Squacco Heron
Library picture

 

 

 

 

Yet another excellent bird to visit Sussex in 2015 - the last one being seen as long ago as 1950! 

 

Not a "lifer" for as Sue and then Paul reminded me we had seen it in Extremadura in the spring. 

Addition to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Squacco Heron   (230)

Addition to BUBO UK Life List of Birds:
Squacco Heron   (294)

• It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East. 

• The Squacco Heron is a migrant, wintering in Africa.

• It is rare north of its breeding range.