Hi everyone, No, not a new species but yesterday on the back pond at Clowbridge a Heron was seen several times to spot something further out than its reach, spring into the air above the water and almost pelican like plunge into the water. It then appeared to swim, quite elegantly considering, the eight feet or so back to shore and then find its feet before starting the saga again. It was an adult bird but did not have any success in the four or five attempts I witnessed. I've never seen this behaviour before and cannot find any reference to Herons being able to swim. Before you ask, no I hadn't had a drink! The only other birds of note were 3 Great Crested Grebe on the reservoir. Regards, David Nuttall.
Never seen it myself, though I seem to recall reading about it. I think it would be Ok as long as it didn't get waterlogged. Waders often swim too (some more than others e.g. phalaropes).
In BWP Volume 1 (Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa) there is the very brief entry "Exceptionally recorded swimming and diving for food (Lowe 1954)"
Lowe 1954 refers to the F.A.Lowe's New Naturalists Monograph 'The Heron' published in 1954, which may contain further details - does anybody have a copy?
