Cattle Egrets close to Westhay Moor, Someset
A few highlights from a trip down to Somerset that coincided with my birthday. Somewhat amazingly plenty of blue sky and sunshine – a major rarity this winter !.
Cattle Egret amongst the ahem, cattle. Possibly a Red Poll but definitely not of the feathered kind.
An unmistakable silhouette with a black-tipped, short yellow bill.
Plenty of the more common Little Egrets. Incredible how their numbers have grown since they first bred back in 1996. Still seemed a little surreal to be watching a mixed flock of Egrets following a herd of cattle around a field in Somerset. It wasn’t that long ago we were watching a similar scene unfold in Coto Donana.
Hmm……… really didn’t expect to see the Blair Witch house at the end of the drove.
As we headed up a deserted country road a Fox appeared in a neighbouring field.
With young Meghan for company surprisingly the Fox wasn’t too bothered about the presence of a Border Collie and seemed more intent on finding the next earthworm from within the fresh Molehills.
Perhaps just as well Meg had other more important things to be doing than chasing Foxes around.
Turning off the road and heading back up another drove great to enjoy a superb view of a female Kestrel with yet again worms being on the menu.
As we re-entered the reserve plenty of Mute Swans to be found. In fact, a ridiculous number of Swans.
A short walk off the drove to a viewing screen revealed a Great White Egret strutting its stuff along the edges of the reedbed.
Hopefully we’ll have chance to revisit in June – to see the Hobbies return 🙂