Monday, April 30, 2018

Green Heron : Llan-Mill, Narberth

As I drove back from Cardiff Bay late afternoon last Saturday news broke of a Green Heron on private land at Llan-Mill near Narberth with access being arranged, should I come off the M4 at Sarn Junc 36 and head home or continue west to get to the bird in the evening, what a dilemma ?
Shortly after the news broke I got a text from good friend and fellow birder/togger Richard Smith asking if I fancied a 'twitch' on Sunday morning, home it was then, plans were made and I met Richard at 8.20am at Junc 36.


The heron was posted as a 'mega' on Birdguides and was only the 12th record for the UK and only the second for Wales, definitely a bird worth going for !!


With myself at the wheel we arrived at the location at about 9.45am and pulled up at the parking area at the nearby crematorium as requested in the 'twitch instructions' posted on the internet.
On the fifteen minute walk to the bird's location we firstly bumped into Dave Gilbert who helped with directions closely followed by Carmarthenshire present and past county recorders Gary Harper and Rob Hunt with another birder.


We arrived at the location in the garden of the local MP Simon Hart and were greeted by Dave Pritchard and his partner Rhian who were amongst about 20 birders present.
We were soon on to the bird and spent about two hours 'filling our boots' although the superb little heron did disappear into the reeds at the back of the pond for a while.
Birders came and went and it was great to catch up with Phil Bristow and Mike Powell and also Barry and Sandra Stewart.


We called it a day at 12.00 noon as I'd promised Teresa that I would take her out in the afternoon and on the walk back to the car bumped into Arfon Williams with a couple of his friends.


A great 'twitch', not too many present and everyone very well behaved, I've seen numerous Green Herons on the other side of the Atlantic and it was great to catch up with one in this country which was a UK 'tick' for me, a massive 'shout out' for Mr Hart and his family for being so accommodating and equally generous with their supply of coffee...........



















































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