A ridiculously early alarm was set and I made for Pagham in the dark. As daylight came about I made my way towards the North Wall from Rookery Lane and scanned the two tussocky fields the bird was seen in yesterday, with no luck. Standing on the North Wall, I clocked the
SQUACCO HERON flying in from the west. Hesitantly, it landed on the little rife by the further field for just a few seconds before taking flight again and heading south. Only my second in Britain, and a major county tick, this was a nice result before starting work but I vowed to return for further views in the next couple of days if the bird continues to show. The calls of
Greenshank and
Whimbrel echoed beyond the wall, while a juvenile
Sparrowhawk and a
Cetti's Warbler were also vocal.
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| Squacco Heron |
