Little Bittern

1). 1810 Blagdon, adult male, shot, 12th May, now at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

(Selby, 1833; Yarrell, 1845; Bewick, 1847; "C.M.A." Field 1st Sept., 1866: 183, "C.M.A." Field 13th Oct., 1866: 266; Hancock, 1874; Yarrell, 1871-85; J. T. T. Reed, Naturalist 13: 77; Howse, 1899; Bolam, 1912; Galloway & Meek, 1978-83; Bowey & Newsome, 2012).

2). 1859 Denton Hall, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, killed, April. 

(Hancock, 1874; R. Duncan, Naturalist 14: 217; Bolam, 1912; Galloway & Meek, 1978-83).

3). 1866 Benridge, near Woolsington, adult male, 31st May. 

("C.M.A." Field 1st Sept., 1866: 183; J. Hancock, Natural History Transactions of Northumberland and Durham 1867: 283; Hancock, 1874; Adamson, 1879; Bolam, 1912; Galloway & Meek, 1978-83).

4). 1871 River Aln, Hawkhill, Alnwick, adult male, killed, May. 

(T. H. Gibb, History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club 6: 248; T. H. Gibb, Zoologist 1872: 3008-3009; W. J. Megginson, History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club 8: 195; Bolam, 1912; Galloway & Meek, 1978-83).

5). 1886 Howick Hall, adult male, seen, 8th to 18th May, when shot. 

(Bolam, 1912; Galloway & Meek, 1978-83).

6). 2000 St Mary's Island, adult male, 18th March. 

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 95: 480).

7). 2014 Gosforth Park, adult male, 22nd to 27th June, photo. 

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 576).

8). 2018 Budle Bay, 2CY+, female, 4th to 5th May, photo. 

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 570, plate 311; Birds in Northumbria 2018: photos).

P). 2025 Chirton Dene Park, Royal Quays, North Shields, first-winter, picked up and taken into care, 23rd November, photo, released after a few days in good health at an undisclosed site.

(birding information services).