NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

Birders were once again left in confusion after yet another 'dubious' heron was found close to Hythe, Kent. Over the past few years, within the small confines of this sleepy seaside town, birders have come across Chinese Pond Heron, Green Heron and several Night Herons, not forgetting assorted white egrets that have largely been ignored because they are so common. The incidence of these rare herons has led one well-known national twitcher to label the sightings as "flawed" and another to suggest that foul-play is behind their appearances. Fingers have been pointed at 'No Ardea', the Lympne bird park owned by Ken Sprockett, a 59-year old retied policeman. His collection is largely kept away from the public eye, but is known to contain up to 80% of the heron species of the world. Upkeep of the park has proved difficult for Mr. Sprockett, who recently lost a lot of money in a Little Bustard breeding programme and the escape of his entire stock, thought to numbe...

RIP Chinese Pond Heron - found dead last week in Hythe (with apologies to all fans of Bohemian Rhapsody and Queen) Is this a real tick? Is this just fantasy? Caught in confusion, No escape from reality. I open my eyes, Look up to Hythe and see, I'm just a twitcher, I need your sympathy, Because I'm not easy come, easy go, I tick a few, but some say no, Anyway the splits go, it really does all matter to me, to me. Someone, just killed Pond Heron, But took away its head, Left some feathers, now he's dead. Pond Heron, life-list had just begun, But now you've gone and died and flown away. Pond Heron, ooh, Didn't want to see you die, If your not back on my list this time tomorrow, I'll carry on, carry on, although it really, really matters. Too late, your time had come, Sent shivers down Birdline, The Grim Reaper calling time. Goodbye, Pond Heron, you had to go, Gotta leave us all behind to find the truth. Pond Heron, ooh (anyway the wind blows), Didn't wa...