Purple Haze

I popped over to Rednal today to try and winkle-out the Purple Heron that has been seen on and off over the last few days. I was parched when I arrived as none of the roadside cafes on the A483 and A5 had come up with a good enough pun to lure me in. Where is ‘Everything under the Bun’ when you need it?

The bird had been observed feeding along the fringes of the canal, but despite a couple of hours of searching I could not locate it. Perhaps the heron has now moved on, or more likely the bird was skulking in a marshy area on the opposite side of the waterway; certainly the birds I have seen in India tend to stick to cover more then other herons.

If the locals are to believe, the area is a hotspot for large water birds. One chap claimed that in the last two years he had seen a White Stork and a pair of Common Cranes in local fields. Certainly, given the numerous sightings of cranes in the Shropshire area over the last two summers the latter report must be reasonably credible. Rednal: wetland par excellence.

Despite the no show the morning was by no means a disappointment. There were tons of butterflies and dragonflies along the toe path including numerous Migrant Hawkers and Speckled Woods.

Off to Anglesey tomorrow to belatedly try and connect with the Baird’s Sandpiper at Traeth Dulas. Then I’ll probably hit the north coast for a spot of sea watching now that my sight has recovered its acuity following last week’s mammoth sessions!

Until later.