Little Egrets in my gaden

[billybirder]

They are very frequent near me (Hayling Island) and I've seen a tree packed with breeding pairs, with chicks on the nest. Unlike grey heron they seem much less spooked by people, so I expect a garden visitor soon. I have seen them tantalisingly close..

[KentYeti]

Not a particularly rare sighting where I saw them today I am told.

First report of one being there is from 2004!

Cheers,


Bryan

[Tringa]

It may be not a rare sighting now, but a good one, Yeti.

I think it is great to be around when various bird (or any other) species become more common.

The first little egret I saw was at Cley in Norfolk some years ago. A few weeks ago I saw one at the junction of M25 and the A13.

Dave

[Pipit]

First LE I saw was on holiday abroad a few years ago and the second was this year at Ardmore Point near Loch Lomond.
Great to have one visit the neighbourhood like you

[Ukwildlifeo]

Funny I spotted one on the concrete storm drain that used to be the River Rom, perched by the 1m width of water on my way to work this morning, and I've seen them hunting along a small stream (read ditch with some water in) in the middle of a town park. They seem to tuen up anywhere here in the South East

[JeffH]

Funnily enough we also had our first Little Egret garden sighting - albeit a flyover - only a few weeks ago (but I won't be putting up a nestbox Bryan )

There's lots of them in this area now - a couple of years back more than 70 were counted going into a roost at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB reserve.

On the negative side, they're very clever and determined predators - 2/3 years ago and whilst doing some long-range nest photography for the National Trust I watched a group of 4 take all the Avocet chicks from the new (and very small) Avocet colony at Wicken Fen. A couple of them would distract the adult birds whilst the others moved in on the chicks - very distressing to watch but they've all gotta eat

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[KentYeti]

The Little Egrets here are British Jeff, and yours?

Very interesting about the Little Egret being a predator of Avocet chicks. During my Avocet Watch at Oare Marshes this year a single Little Egret was the only bird the Avocet adults could not get to leave the area around their nesting site. They clearly never liked it being there but the Little Egret took up residence and refused to leave.

I never realised it was indeed a potential predator of the chicks.

I've gone back and changed my web page to reflect that. Thankfully I had a photo of the Avocet and Little Egret together.

So thanks for that Jeff. Due credit has been given!

Cheers,

Bryan

[aeshna5]

Interesting observation Jeff. I haven't personally observed that but it isn't a total surprise as Herons are important predators of young wetland birds- I think Herons took all the Avocet chicks that had attempted breeding at the London Wetland Centre a few years ago.

Turning the tables I remember listening to an episode of the Living World on Radio 4 about Brownsea Island some years back. They had a small colony of Little Egrets breeding there + the wardens were excited about a pair of Ravens turning up. However these clever corvids worked as a pair, one distracting the egrets, while the other predated the nest. In the end the Little Egrets abandoned this colony. Not sure what the current situation is there.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by KentYeti

The Little Egrets here are British Jeff, and yours?

Yes, I'm happy to regard them as "British" Bryan.

In my 25 year old copy of "The Popular Handbook of British Birds" (by P A D Hollom) he describes them as being "formerly a very rare vagrant but since 1952 has appeared annually....on the south and east coasts of England"

and the RSPB says "...It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996. Its colonization followed naturally from a range expansion into western and northern France in previous decades. It is now at home on numerous south coast sites, both as a breeding species and as a winter visitor".

Thereby giving them, in my personal opinion, a considerably stronger claim to being naturalised British birds than say Snowy or European Eagle Owls

Originally Posted by KentYeti

.....I never realised it was indeed a potential predator of the chicks. I've gone back and changed my web page to reflect that. Thankfully I had a photo of the Avocet and Little Egret together.
So thanks for that Jeff. Due credit has been given! Cheers, Bryan

You're very welcome Bryan - happy to have helped

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[Livster]

Originally Posted by billybirder

They are very frequent near me (Hayling Island) and I've seen a tree packed with breeding pairs, with chicks on the nest. Unlike grey heron they seem much less spooked by people, so I expect a garden visitor soon. I have seen them tantalisingly close..

We are blessed on the south coast with regards to Little Egrets. They can been seen pretty much anywhere around Portsmouth harbour and the adjoining creeks. They seem to like a lot of the military land where areas of wild scrub are allowed to grow near water (which makes sence).