Seymour Birdies Diary: A Couple of Hours with the Spoonbills

5th May 2024

I have been coming to Abberton Reservoir since the 1970s and during that time there has always been a heronry at the north-west end of the Layer Breton causeway. For the Grey Herons it has been a rather exclusive residence where they have left alone raising their young. Then a few years ago they were joined by the new kids on the block, the Little Egrets.

And then in 2021 Spoonbills bred for the first time in the heronry, a first for Abberton and a first for Essex, and have bred every year since. And to compound matters, this year there are probably about four pairs of Cattle Egrets in there so the exclusive Grey Heron residence is getting a little more busy.

The herons tend to nest higher in the trees as if to get away from it all and are certainly no longer the most numerous resident.

There are still a number of pairs of Little Egrets breeding there, but they tend to nest just inside the trees and are therefore less visible, and are best seen as they fly in and out of the colony

I believe the Cattle Egrets were first seen in the heronry last year and this year there are about four active nests.

Here is a male bringing in food to the female on the nest.

These too can be difficult to see at times on the nest, but can be fairly active around the colony.

But the stars of the show are still the large majestic Spoonbills which because of their size are easier to observe and photograph. This one was having a preen by the weir at the other end of the causeway.

Spoonbills are majestic on terra firma, but walking around in trees is another matter.

Especially when you are trying to break off twigs for your nest, because unlike fish, the twigs fight back. So there is much wing-flapping in an effort to retain balance.