Cattle Egrets at Abberton Reservoir

21st November 2021

Having enjoyed a most successful morning at Hanningfield Reservoir photographing the Slavonian Grebe, time to move on to Abberton in search of the Cattle Egrets. At the causeways a few passerines were on show including this most cooperative Meadow Pipit which posed on one of the rails.

A small flock of Long-tailed Tits also passed through, this one searching through roe hips for some tasty morsels, but didn't stay long.

Not so many Great White Egrets on show today, just this one flying in to roost.

On the water duck numbers are building up and many of the resident Egyptian Geese were on display.

About 30 Shovelers were having one of their feeding frenzies where they all swim around in a tight circle thereby creating a vortex in the water which brings food to the surface. After that time for a swim round.

Winter ducks are also increasing in numbers, particularly the Goldeneyes with both males and females present.

Goosanders are nowhere near their usual numbers yet and mostly still distant, but one did choose to swim past us close in by the Layer Breton causeway.

There are two Scaup on the Layer de la Haye causeway, one an obvious female and the other which I assume is a 1st winter male. They can be distant at times but do come closer in on occassions.

Here the female was associating with a female Goldeneye.

So now on to Garr House Farm in search of the Cattle Egrets. A pair of Buzzards were putting on a good display, chasing each other around in the afternoon sun and they even performed a low level pass.

The Cattle Egrets alternate between the sheep field and the cattle field, today preferring the cattle. Eleven were present and fortunately were at the east end of the field away from the sun

The cattle don't mind them at all and will let them pick insects off their legs, and also provide a convenient perch.

They are also far more mobile than the other egrets and are continually moving position in the field, sometimes by just a few yards

This is one of the hazards of walking around in a mixture of mud and hay.

Here is nine of the eleven birds present. What a day!!!