I went for a walk earlier in a park in my town in eastern Hertfordshire and could only see common birds such as magpies, woodpigeons, a couple of robins etc...then I walked alongside a stream/small river with vegetation on both sides and a patch of trees and undergrowth on the other side to me (or possibly on a small island - I can't remember now). I stopped and looked, then lo and behold a grey heron and a great white egret both took off from among the trees and flew off.
I don't have a picture I'm afraid, because I was so surprised to see the egret (and it was flying away from me) I didn't have time to get my camera out. But I can absolutely swear that it was a great white egret, although they're rare visitors to the UK. It was the same size as the grey heron so definitely wasn't a little egret, and I don't think it was a leucistic grey heron, either. I've watched this video http://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/bto-bird-id-little-egret-and-great-white-egret to be sure.
I don't have a picture I'm afraid, because I was so surprised to see the egret (and it was flying away from me) I didn't have time to get my camera out. But I can absolutely swear that it was a great white egret, although they're rare visitors to the UK. It was the same size as the grey heron so definitely wasn't a little egret, and I don't think it was a leucistic grey heron, either. I've watched this video http://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/bto-bird-id-little-egret-and-great-white-egret to be sure.