Hundreds of birdwatchers flock to Welsh seaside town to see rare African heron spotted for first time in UK
A western reef heron, a species typically found in southern Europe, Africa, and Asia, was spotted in Caernarfon, Wales on Saturday, marking the first confirmed sighting of the species in the UK. Ornithologist Simon Hugheston-Roberts identified the bird and shared the discovery with birdwatching groups, prompting approximately 300 twitchers to travel to the coastal town. The sighting is significant for UK ornithology as it represents a rare vagrant bird, likely blown off course by southern winds.
On Saturday morning, experienced ornithologist Simon Hugheston-Roberts spotted a western reef heron (egretta gularis) at Y Foryd in Caernarfon, north Wales, during his regular birdwatching walk. After confirming the identification through careful comparison with a little egret and drawing on his decades of birdwatching experience in Africa and the Middle East, he alerted a WhatsApp group of fellow ornithologists. By afternoon, approximately 300 birdwatchers from across the UK had arrived in the town, with some traveling from as far as Essex. The bird has been observed in various locations around Caernarfon, including the harbour, nearby woods, and fields. Naturalist Iolo Williams confirmed this as a UK first record for the species. Experts suggest warm southern winds may have carried the heron off course, causing it to become lost and drift to British shores.
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Hundreds of twitchers flock to see African bird in UK for first time
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