Out walking the dog West of New Bridge this morning and a very surprising sight indeed: a juvenile Purple heron flew just the other side of the river in front of us and landed not much further than a hundred metres away.
Sorry for late posting. I went out there this evening (6th), and saw the bird three times in flight and once briefly on the ground, all in the short period c1900-1915. It was north/west of the Tone in the general area of Currymoor Drove, viewed from by the sharp left-hand bend in the river at approx. ST310268, about 500m west of Newbridge Sluice, just past a large patch of Himalayan Balsam on the south bank of the river, and before a few willows on the other bank.
Initially seen flying away at c.150m range, at which point any suspicions that it might be just another of the all-too-frequent misidentifications of juv Grey Heron at this time of year went straight out the window, and apologies to Simon for even thinking it. I only had bins with me, so cannot be sure on relatively brief and not particularly close views whether it is indeed a fresh juvenile or an older immature, but certainly a Purple Heron, on both coloration and structure. Last seen (after a longish side-on flight view) going down near the drove, possibly into a rhyne, on the near edge of a field with sheep in it.
Hobby and Whitethroat among other species seen (and Grey Heron).