A bird rarely seen in the UK has been caught on camera in Somerset, raising hopes that work to restore freshwater habitats could provide a refuge for it.
The black-crowned night heron is widespread across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe but has now been spotted at National Trust’s Holnicote Estate, near Minehead.
This comes as conservationists at the estate introduced new freshwater habitats, providing a refuge for the heron, but also water voles, otters, pine martens, and even white-tailed eagles.
Ben Eardley, project manager for Somerset Coast and Countryside, said: “It’s rare to see this wetland species in the UK and so exciting that we have observed one on our estate cameras.”
