GREAT-WHITE EGRET- Take two.

30/08/12

With little birdwise reported within the county, we decided to head to the location just down the road, tempory home to a big white bird, which was still hanging around.

 

Upon parking at the north end, i crossed the road, and it only took a couple of seconds to locate a white Egret. However, this wasnt the Great, this was a LITTLE EGRET, and it didnt take long at all to pick up a 2nd bird. 2 Little Egret! And, also showing in the flooded middle section was the GREAT EGRET!

The bird was flushed by a pair of birders walking along the western path, and the bird gave superb flight views, at times with Great, Little Egret and Grey Heron all in the same bin views at once.

Awsome!

 

The bird flew towards us, and began to drop down on the pool just below the raised viewpoint and i tried some 'in flight' photos of the Great Egret.





 

 

The bird briefly touched down before being flushed by a dog walker, and the bird then flew off in a north ish direction. At about the same time, a stunning juvenile PEREGRINE flew in, and hunted low over the water for a good 15 minuites, perching in a tree adjoining the road for some time.

 

The Dog walker also flushed a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT for the flooded middle section, which quickly flew off north, over our heads and into the distance.

The PEREGRINE gave awsome views as it tried to attack BHG, and in its attempts to hunt them, it flushed another BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, whcih it then proceeded to chase, getting incredibly close on its tail, almost catching it. But the Godwit kept climbing higher, and out-climbed the Peregrine, and then followed the other Godwit off into the distance to the north.

With most of the birds having being flushed by now, we decided to walk along the western track, and it didnt take long to pick up the Peregrine again, and it circled up higher and flew off to the west. And it was while watching the 'Peg' that i spotted a smaller falcon and it briefly 'flycatched' (or should that be dragoncatched) from a perch before alighting back in the same place. At this time, i was able to get the scope onto it, and i was able to see the brown tinged wing coverts and tail feathers, ageing the bird as a 1st summer HOBBY.

 

 

 

 

The bird perched for a long time, giving me great views of a perched Hobby, something i cant claim to have seen many times!



Another Little Egret (Total 3) was showing on a flood across the path, but we inadvertantly flushed it as we came around the crops. Luckilly however, it only flew to the other side of the pool, and pitched down.

We then decided to head to the Waggon wheel pits, which were 'dead' apart form a few BHG, so we moved down to the river, via Waggon Wheel lane. About halfway down the lane i picked up the Great Egret again, as it flew back from the river back to Camp lane pits. This was the 2nd rare heron ive seen from this particular path, as it was where i caught up with the Glossy Ibis a few years back.
We had a short walk south along the river, passing the marshy pool which had 3 Gadwall, and looked amazing for a Crake!
A short walk further revealed a Green Sandpiper on the sandbank. With heavy clouds aproching, we decided to head back to the car.
From here, we had a very quick drop into Camp Pits again, and i saw the Great Egret on the flooded middle section, showing in the same scope view as all 3 LITTLE EGRET, and 3 Grey Heron. Heron Heaven!

 

MB