Purple Heron Oathe, Somerset 8th September 2007
It's been a fairly good autumn so far for Purple Heron with four records in the last four weeks. The first record was on 11th August of one in Oxfordshire. This was followed by another on 20th August at Frensham, Surrey. The next two to turn up were in Somerset with the first at Meare Heath on 1st september and the second not far away at Aller Moor near Oathe on 2nd September. Interestingly all the birds were juveniles and long stayers. A large high pressure system has been static since the end of august. Purple Heron is a summer visitor to europe from africa so these birds will have been part of a movment north/north-west.
