I was just walking out of Burton RSPB on Sunday afternoon after seeing a Spotted crake when I received a Twitter message that a Purple Swamphen had been found at Minsmere in Suffolk. The bird was apparently ringed, so I just drove home and thought nothing more of it. I then received a text from Fred Fearn saying that the bird was now apparently unringed after photos had been taken, and it had been re-identified as a Western race that breeds in Spain and Portugal. There have been several records of Purple Swamphen in Britain, though these have generally related to Grey-headed Swamphen, which are kept in captivity in this country, and most records have been escapes out of someone's collection, like the Saltney bird in Chester in July 2010. There has been a northward dispersal of this species, though in France in 2016, so you never know. It was a good insurance tick! Anyway, plans were made by the other lads who were going down in the morning, which really gripped me off, but I couldn't do anything till Tuesday, regarding being in work Monday morning and having a busy workload. I knew I would end up going, and hopefully the bird would stay.
The bird showed all day on Monday, so when I left work in the evening, I made the long journey to Suffolk. I arrived at Minsmere just after 11.30pm and slept in the car. I set my alarm for 5am, and it was soon going off, so I made are way straight down to the south hide in the pouring rain! When Will It Stop? I soon picked up the Swamphen weaving in and out of the far reeds; it had stayed, and I had seen it. Thankfully, the bird had stayed in its favourite area that it had been in for the last two days, because it could easily have just disappeared into the vast reed beds at this reserve.
Western Swamphen
The weather was now getting even worse, and I was bloody freezing and wet. I just fired away a few record shots of the Swamphen that won't win any prizes and walked back to the car. Another downpour came, so I dived into a hide for shelter and took a quick look at what was about. Black-tailed godwits were in good numbers, along with 6 Spotted redshanks.
Black Tailed Godwit
A Marsh Harrier was sitting perched distantly, and 4 Bearded tits were seen from the hide.
Marsh Harrier
Just as I was about to leave the hide, I picked up a bird flying over the reed bed.
Bittern in flight
The rain had now eased a bit, so I headed back to the car. On my way back, I saw a Water rail and a young family of Whitethroats.
Water Rail
Common Whitethroats
The reserve opened at 9.00am, so I nipped into the cafe and had some much-deserved breakfast and a hot drink.
A juvenile Robin kept me entertained while I had breakfast
Moving on from Minsmere, I called in at Westleton Heath, which I last visited on the 11th of May 2008, to try and see a Spectacled warbler, which I dipped, which was eight years ago. How time flies.
The common heather was in full bloom on Westleton Heath
A good walk around the heath soon produced 9 Dartford warblers and a Woodlark flyover.
9 Dartford warblers were seen on the heath
Getting back to the car, the rain started again, so I decided to head back north. The Swamphen was in the bag, and it is now up to the powers that be to decide if it is an escape or a true vagrant to our shores. Like the Chestnut Bunting, Dalmatian Pelican, and Lammergeier, we will just have to wait and see! If the Chinese Pond Heron can go on!!!!!!
