Little Bittern photographed at Reservoir [RES] on 31/5/2000 Photo: © Mark Lawlor (visit site)

This tiny heron occurs throughout much of Europe, Africa and Australasia. Birds breeding in temperate areas are migratory and it is a classic 'spring overshoot' to the UK and northern Europe. It is a rare spring visitor to the islands and has been reported from a number of wetland sites in Guernsey.

Unusually the first island record was in late autumn. Smith reports a bird caught alive in the Vale Road, Vale at the end of November 1876. Originally shot at, the bird was caught alive by having a pocket-handkerchief thrown at it! It turned out to be a young male and was eventually stuffed. The second record was a specimen obtained in October 1921 at Le Marais, Vale. The remaining records follow a more typical pattern of April and May records. Intriguingly, there were a series of records from the Reservoir occurring over a four month period in 2000. This involved a male and female which were see together at the end of May and early June. They then disappeared and were not then seen again until mid August. Whether these birds attempted to breed is unknown but must remain a possibility.

1959. One picked up exhausted at Perelle. Released 1st April.

1970. One Le Marais, St Sampson 19th April -3rd May.

1978. One at Les Bordes,St Peters 21st May.

1983. One at Le Marais, St Sampson 22nd April

1988 One at Rue des Pres, St Peters 27th March

1988 One at La Grande Mare 1st and 2nd May

1988 One at the Marais Nord 16th May

2000 A male on the 30th May at the Reservoir was joined by a female on the 31st May. Observed into early June they were then not seen until the 5th August. Last date 17th August.