Great White Egret.

[Richard Ford]

A record shot of the Alresford, Hampshire, Great White Egret.
Digiscoped from my car window just before 9:00 this morning with horizontal rain right in my face and scope, so better than I expected considering the conditions.

Cheers

Richard

[dylan]

Digiscoping in this weather? That's what I call dedication! :clap:

[juliadorz]

A record shot of the Alresford, Hampshire, Great White Egret.
Digiscoped from my car window just before 9:00 this morning with horizontal rain right in my face and scope, so better than I expected considering the conditions.

Cheers

Richard

Hi there, I have also seen 2 Great White Egret in Alresford, both along the same path, along by the watercress beds at the bottom of the town. Also last weekend I took my family down to Whitchurch to see the trout at the silkmill, and just past it down 'The Wier' we also saw one their too.
Just thought you might be interested to know.

Cheers

Julia

[Richard Ford]

Thanks Julia

Hope you won’t be offended, obviously I have no idea how experienced you are, but are you familiar with Little Egret?

Little Egret is relatively Common in Southern England now and roost at Alresford pond a feed around the rivers, flooded fields and cress beds around Alresford during the Day. Great White Egret is a rare but increasing bird in England. For example there is one wintering in the west of Hampshire that has returned for several years. But it may well be the only one in Hants at the moment and there may perhaps be a few others in the country.

Basically its rare and unusual to see one, let alone two together and another one at another site in the same county.

Little Egret looks like this
http://www.digitalwildlife.co.uk/birds/ltegret.htm

Its smaller than a Grey Heron with a dark bill

Great White Egret will be heron size with a yellow/orange bill. Lots of pictures here
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/search.php?searchid=50590


All the best

Richard

[juliadorz]

Thanks Julia

Hope you won’t be offended, obviously I have no idea how experienced you are, but are you familiar with Little Egret?

Little Egret is relatively Common in Southern England now and roost at Alresford pond a feed around the rivers, flooded fields and cress beds around Alresford during the Day. Great White Egret is a rare but increasing bird in England. For example there is one wintering in the west of Hampshire that has returned for several years. But it may well be the only one in Hants at the moment and there may perhaps be a few others in the country.

Basically its rare and unusual to see one, let alone two together and another one at another site in the same county.

Little Egret looks like this
http://www.digitalwildlife.co.uk/birds/ltegret.htm

Its smaller than a Grey Heron with a dark bill

Great White Egret will be heron size with a yellow/orange bill. Lots of pictures here
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/search.php?searchid=50590


All the best

Richard

Hi yes, might have been one little egret in Alresford but the other definately was slightly bigger and had orange bill.As did the one in Whitchurch, as my family and I watched it for quite a while!

[naturistbird]

Wilts Great white Egret is on Pit 95 at Cotswold Water Park.

[Richard Ford]

Hi yes, might have been one little egret in Alresford but the other definately was slightly bigger and had orange bill.As did the one in Whitchurch, as my family and I watched it for quite a while!

Well if thats the case then great, how long ago were the birds present?

[juliadorz]

Well if thats the case then great, how long ago were the birds present?

3/4 weeks ago, there was one (with orange bill) at 'The Wier' in Whitchurch, Hants, this was on a Saturday. (Alresford would have been a couple of months ago.) We've just recently moved back to the area after living in Aberdeen so we're just getting used to the wildlife down here again. Used to seabirds and Ospreys when we've ventured out to Perthshire or the Highlands. Also dont know if they're common or not, (novice at birdwatching!) but have been watching 2 black swans on the River Thames at Caversham (Reading) for the past couple of days! They've been swimming along happily with the hundreds of Mute Swans which reside here.

[Surreybirder]

A record shot of the Alresford, Hampshire, Great White Egret.
Digiscoped from my car window just before 9:00 this morning with horizontal rain right in my face and scope, so better than I expected considering the conditions.

Cheers

Richard

Hi, Richard,
How long has the Alresford GWE been around? I saw one in Surrey on 15th and I'd be interested to know whether it could be the same one.
Ken