I teamed up with Graham Smith and Dave Cleal to try and see the Black-crowned Night Heron that had been found at Claydon Lakes a couple of days earlier. We arrived at the site about 7:30pm and walked on the footpath to the lake where Mike Campbell and another birder were already waiting, along with four fisherman at various places around the lake. As the time went by to dusk, a steady tickle of birders arrived including Mike and Ted Wallen, Paul Moon, Simon Nichols, Don Stone, et al. About 15 people in all.
We were all watching the end of the lake where the bird had appeared on the two previous nights and sure enough, at 8:30pm the bird flew a short distance and landed in a tall tree about 100 metres away. We manged some decent telescope views, although the light was very poor.
After a few minutes the Heron decided to head off, presumably to fish and it flew off in the direction of Steeple Claydon. The river Thame is the far side of the village, so it may well have been headed there. I managed a few photos in very poor light, so they are only silhouette shots and with a high ISO setting, rather grainy. However everyone present was delighted to have views of only the 6th record for the county and the first twitchable one.
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| Waiting in anticipation just before the Nigh Heron appeared. It was rather dark! |
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| Black-crowned Nigh Heron |
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| The Night Heron disappeared into the sunset towards Steeple Claydon |
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