Great White Egret

Time to get a couple of local ticks for the year list - not that I'm doing a year list this year, but the news that there were a couple of rarities quite locally was enough to get me and Mrs L out before the forecasted rain.

First up to Broom GPs, Gypsy Lane East for the Pectoral Sandpiper, distant views into the sun weren't ideal but it was nice to discover somewhere "new". Nice also that Mrs L persisted with Youngshank's old and rejected Ixus 60 and came up with some quite recognisable digiscope shots.

An interesting cross country drive brought us onto more familiar ground, Wilstone Reservoir at Tring where there was a Great White Egret. We'd been warned that it'd probably be distant views across the reservoir, but we met a few birders walking out saying it had been showing well close to the hide. We certainly could see it distantly across the reservoir, but then headed to the hide with fingers crossed.

Only two birders in the hide when we arrived, one of whom was Alan, the author of Seymour Birdies Diary who we've met many times before and consistently with his Canon 400mm comes up with far sharper images than I do with my Sigma 500mm. Let's see how today goes. No sign of the Great White Egret at present, but we know it's just round the corner and we really don't have too long to wait before we can see it making its way along the edge of the reeds and then coming into full view. Snap, snap, snap. It catches something small, perhaps a frog. Snap, snap, snap. Next a fairly large fish. Snap, snap, snap. Then a Grey Heron flies in and mobs it and forces it to fly off. Snap, snap, snap. Snap, snap, snap. Comparing shots afterwards simply confirms that I want a new lens.

Walking out Alan hears a Kingfisher and locates it quite quickly. Mrs L had heard it but didn't recognise it while old cloth ears me didn't hear a thing. Then Alan picks up the call of a Chiffchaff and locates that. Again Mrs L had heard it but didn't recognise it (note call not song) and eventually I actually hear it. You can go off some people! As I contemplate stealing his lens and pushing him into the reservoir I decide the water's not deep enough to hide the body. Until next time Alan.

As a postscript after we departed Alan popped down to Amwell where another Great White Egret landed for a few seconds opposite the viewpoint before carrying on towards Stanstead Abbotts. Now he's claiming the prize for probably being the only person that has seen two separate Great White Egrets on the same day in Hertfordshire.

As a further postscript that's the Year List up to 220 list - not that I'm doing a year list this year, and if you want a closer view of the Great White Egret you need to pop over to RCB.