September 2020 ~ "Egrets I've had a few"

 It's really amazing how nature really changes over the years.  I can remember seeing my first Little Egret at Combe Hill meadows quite a few years back.  It was very important and exciting, so much so that I remember texting home, as I was supposed to being going out somewhere.  "I shall have to wait there is a Little Egret walking toward the hide."  Now the birds are really increasing and colonising the UK.  At first Little Egrets were the most regularly seen.

This little Egret is fishing in a shallow lagoon.  It has black legs and bill with yellow feet.  There is often a long crest on show.

Cattle Egrets are also now seen regularly.  There were twelve seen to together at Slimbridge WWT recently.  They often hunt around cattle as their name suggests.  Waiting for the cattle to disturb insects as they go through the grass.

This Cattle Egret was taking a rest on an island preening its feathers.  Normally look out for them around cattle.  

The last one which is much rarer, but beginning to get seen more regularly is the larger Great White Egret.

The Great White Egret is a larger bird with a very long neck and yellow bill.  They tend to stalk around in wetlands in a ponderous nature not unlike the Grey Heron.

Have no regrets learn to recognise your egrets. 

~ There will soon be one coming to a pond near you! ~

September 2020 ~ Being flexible with the diet - a great survival technique

It struck me having photographed Whitethroats in May and then again in September how they can really completely change their diets.  They seemed so insectivorous in May, that I could not imagine how much they would relish berries in the Autumn.  This along with the migration to the Sahel in sub-Sahara Africa must be their great survival strategy.

In spring when there are young to feed, and they need to gather as much protein together as quickly as possible they feed on a diet of insects and spiders.

When it becomes cooler and there are less of these available, they readily switch to a diet of berries.

It is difficult to imagine that in a few weeks they will fly to Africa and even cross the Sahara desert. They are really lovely birds and I always look forwarded to seeing and hearing them on their return.

Good luck until next spring!

September 2020 ~ The Regularity of some migrants seems amazing

 It comes as quite a surprise but over the last few years I have to say that I am amazed over the consistency of some of the long distance migratory birds.  There is a particular hedge on my local patch where I regularly get migrant Spotted Flycatchers.  They never breed here but I see them every year.  I could perhaps understand if they were returning to a nest site or breeding area.  But this seems to be just a regular stop over on the migratory journey south.  I can just imagine when there are none around that if I said to someone if you look along this hedge in Late August early September there will be a party of Spotted Flycatcher hunting, they would look at me a bit incredulously.

If you look closely this one has his eye on the prize, a suicidal fly.  They watch intently every movement of flying insects.  Then they take off, snatch it from the air and quite often return to the same perch.

They are small brown birds, but to me they are very beautiful.  It's their behaviour and stature.

This one looks so proud and self confident.

That's probably the last time I will see them this year, but of course I can have a look along the hedge at the same time next year! 

If there is plenty of food I sometimes wonder why they don't stop and breed, that would be great, but ah well it's nice to see them every year even though they are just passing through.