Tuesday 12 April 2011

Tophill Low NR

Still needing Purple Heron for the Yorkshire list, I found myself making a slight detour on the way home from a morning at work to Tophill Low NR. Arriving in the car park and talking to one of the volunteers, there had been no sign. I had already been thinking of turning around as news had come on the pager of a Purple Heron at Spurn earlier this morning and the Tophill bird had come on the pager as having flown South on Sunday evening, even though it was seen until dusk. The Spurn bird turned out to be a different bird, a first summer compared to the adult at Tophill. I carried on anyway, visiting the hides where it had previously been seen, but no luck. There was slight compensation in an unexpected Whooper Swan (240) on the reserve, one of the many common birds I still need for the county.

Of course, the inevitable happened. Arrived home mid afternoon, having been to my Daughter's School's Easter service at the local church and had a quick look back through the messages. You guessed it, "Purple Heron - still on South Lagoon at 2.20pm", right where I had been looking! Nevermind, probably mean another detour after work though!!

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