Today, it was twenty six years, three months and twenty nine
days since the first Cattle Egret for Northumberland was found at Barrasford by
Roger. It’s been a long time coming, but the second has now arrived and a few
more saw this one than the first.
Of all the countries I've been to, the only place I haven’t
seen Cattle Egret is Japan, but they do occur there. Because they are so common
elsewhere, I have never twitched one in the UK, and never would have, unless it
was in my home county. Today was that day
I picked up the finder of the first this morning and we headed
for Holy Island, where it was quickly bagged, pressure off, county tick. Mostly
seen badly wandering under trees in an inaccessible garden, we did have a stroke
of luck as we walked down the Crooked Lonen. The one guy who has permission to
visit the garden, was doing just that, and the egret took to the air…
…as did this Long-eared Owl.
This Kestrel was enjoying the warmth of the sun, sheltered from the freezing
cold wind
Leaving the Island, we had the Twite flock at the Beal road
ends, then on to Budle Bay, where there was a Little Egret. Next stop Stag
Rocks, plenty of Purple Sandpipers, and one Slavonian Grebe. From here to Low
Newton and the Black Redstart, which was too flighty to get any pictures of. And
that was it, we were too cold, time to be in the car with the heaters on.
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