Purple Heron at Carlton Marshes

On Thursday 11th April, after the poor weather the previous evening, I coolly waited until the fine spring-like evening and directly after work, 5.45pm I was walking down the main track (seing a Grey Heron fly north over the track) from Carlton Marshes and pleased to see Paul & Sara scoping the Heron in the dyke. It was distant and initially obscured by the reeds with just its head poking out, but eventually and over the course of the following hour we had excellent prologed if distant view of the very fine adult Purple Heron , with a fine tassel drooping down from the crown of his head. The Heron was was fishing in the dyke. Jeremy G joined us and we had fine distant views of it before abruptlky at 7.03pm it flew up into the sky initially heading south and towards the Visitors centre, it veered around to the north and then veered westwards eventualy it flew north west and disappeared behind trees on Jenson's island. A male Marsh harrier also seen and walking back by the Vistor's centre, I heard both a Bittern boom and a Grasshopper warbler reeling.