Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers

Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say experts It is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK. The heron was first spotted in Foryd Bay at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats. While the sighting has excited birdwatchers nationwide, experts said it also demonstrated how changing climate conditions have altered the bird’s range. “The fact that they are getting here in the first place, and then surviving, is likely to be because of increasingly mild winters,” said Nick Moran, training manager at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). “It’s much easier to survive in the winter now than it was 50 years ago because we don’t see shallow water bodies freezing over with any regularity. These herons and egrets typically feed in relatively shallow water.” A squacco heron, another rare tropical bird typically found in southern Europe and north Africa, was also drawing birdwatchers to Lincolnsh