Sunday 14 February 2016

Cattle Egret again at East End farm

On Sunday 14th February, often in birding you have to choose which bird to go for, do you go to Minsmere for Smew, Whoopers & Firecrest or back to East End farm for another photographic crack at the Egret? As a birder it would undoubtedly be Minsmere but as a photographer, I've got good shots of all 3 species but could improve on the Cattle Egret pictures I have. So back to East End farm. I parked at the Aldeby tip (where do you look to see the Gulls here???) and as I did so Dick W drew up and we walked down together. The Cattle Egret was back in the field but initially we couldn't see the Cattle they were behind the hay feeder and the Egret was walking around the shed in the western corner. A male Stonechat was again seen by the fence and the ditch. The Egret walked round by the Cattle then flew to the far side. Dick and I walked back up the track and the bird flew back into just behind the Cattle, but we were now wrong side of the track looking into the sun. After 2 birders had had a look and Carl B and his wife had also been and gone, before he left Carl spotted a Buzzard being mobbed by a Crow and the Buzzard flew past at the back. Dick and I very slowly walked down the track I walked past the feeding Cattle with the Cattle Egret feeding between their legs where they were disturbing insects, food for the Egret. The Egret was showing really well and we took full advantage. The bird continued to feed well until another birder walking down flushed it and the bird flew to the back of the field again, but within 10 minutes it had flown to the middle of the field.

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