Local G W Egret

I was up early and out to Wheldrake Ings this morning for a Great White Egret that although has been around for a week or more has only been showing early morning then disappearing off somewhere else for the rest of the day. I arrived at the Pool Hide before 7am but it was a misty start and you couldn’t even see the back of the Pool, however it soon started to lift but as stuff at the back became visible there were only a handful of Grey Herons showing there, the day started to brighten up and the hide filled up with a few more local birders including Messrs J.A. Booth, C Gomersall and J Ledley and the Egret eventually emerged from the bottom corner of the Pool where it had obviously been feeding away out of sight, it then performed admirably although favouring the back corner of the Pool, it did however get spooked a couple of times and on one occasion landed a bit nearer, another time it flew off and looked to be on its way as per its usual routine but then turned around and came back and indeed was still present and looking fairly settled when I left around 8-40am, there were also a few Waders present including two Ruff, Greenshank, Common and Green Sandpipers, Snipe etc and a Cream Crown Marsh Harrier was patrolling plus Sparrowhawk and Hobby went over.

Grey Heron emerging out of the mist

first views of the Egret

it then got spooked

and landed a bit closer

Waders

the two Ruff

after another fly around

it returned to its corner

but then had a wander