Sunday 21 December 2008

Cattle Egret - Sandy Haven

Derek phoned before 10am this morning to say that the Cattle Egret was again in the field above the Chapel with 3 Little Egrets, so I decided to pop down, there by 1045 but no egrets! Tide out so assumed birds may have dispersed to the Pill, saw 2 Littles there but no Cattle. Had a little drive around to the south checking fields, ended up at Bicton where 16 Gadwall were notable. Another drive by the Chapel field, still no egrets, so went to Capeston to see the Starling/Lapwing spectacle (well worth it), and then decided to take the road from there to Hasguard Cross, past Cott's Farm, and low and behold in a cattle field on the left, next to an irrigation pond (SM853102) 6 Little Egrets with a single Cattle Egret! As the egret flies it's only a mile from the Chapel field, so I presume its one and the same bird - the farmer tells me there are usually egrets in the field, so worth checking. Plumage wise seemed exactly as the bird originally found at Sandy Haven in October, no plumes (head or back) and blob of peach on the forecrown. I wonder if the bird that Stuart had at Dale was different - its as far away from the Sandy Haven bird as the Angle one is!