Rare night heron lingers at restored Somerset wetland, raising breeding questions

A black-crowned night heron — classified by the British Trust for Ornithology as a scarce UK visitor — was caught on camera across three consecutive days at the Holnicote Estate in Somerset, a National Trust wetland restored by reuniting the River Aller with its floodplain. The species first confirmed UK breeding was recorded in Somerset in 2017. Three days' occupancy at a habitat designed to support exactly such species suggests restored wetlands may be easing range expansion.