Little Egret at Falmer Pond

I stopped by Falmer pond today. No sign at all of the ducklings in the morning, or at lunchtime. 🙁 In fact the pond itself was rather quiet. A few gulls were congregating, and at lunchtime the ducks were dabbling gently in the warm sunshine.

A moorhen was idly pecking at edge of the water.

And by an adjacent path, orange tip butterflies were skipping among the nettles.

All nice moments, but the sighting of the day had been several hours earlier at around 8.20 in the morning. I'd walked around the pond and was just getting ready to leave when a movement overhead caught my eye.

A little egret. I normally see these at Rottingdean, and this was the first one I've seen away from the shoreline. It circled the pond several times, a truly obliging subject!

And then it headed for the trees!

It didn't stay perched there for long, but a perfect start to a beautiful spring day.
Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

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This Post Has 16 Comments

  1. Ukwildlife

    8 Apr 2011

    Nice photos.

    Egrets are always a bonus, even if they are getting common here in the South 🙂

  2. Words

    9 Apr 2011

    Neil, I do seem to be seeing more of them, but as you say they're always a treat. 🙂

  3. cakkleberrylane

    9 Apr 2011

    All great shots, especially the egret. They are such beautiful and magestic birds!

  4. RobinL

    9 Apr 2011

    Words, great shots. What a wonderful bird

  5. gdare

    9 Apr 2011

    Ducklings are hiding from a strange man following them every day :left:

    😀

  6. Words

    9 Apr 2011

    Erwin, thanks!

  7. Words

    9 Apr 2011

    Lois, they're fabulous to watch, and this one was just circling around. Beautiful to see.

  8. Words

    9 Apr 2011

    Robin, thanks. It always seems incongruous to see such exotic birds locally. Nice though 🙂

  9. Words

    9 Apr 2011

    Darko, I wish that were the case, but I fear the worst 🙁

  10. gdare

    10 Apr 2011

    You think they died? :left:

  11. gonzalotravieso

    10 Apr 2011

    Great photos, specially the one with the butterfly.

  12. Words

    11 Apr 2011

    Gonzalo, thanks!

  13. Words

    11 Apr 2011

    Darko, died or eaten :yikes:

  14. SittingFox

    11 Apr 2011

    There seems something other-worldly about egrets – they're such a pure white, and I'm still startled to see them in the UK even though they're now permanent features of the landscape :right:

  15. Words

    12 Apr 2011

    Adele, I hadn't realized just how recent newcomers egrets were. The first breeding pair was as recent as 1996 according to the RSPB and they report well under 200 breeding pairs. Lovely to see though… so white it's startling.

  16. Wulpen

    19 Oct 2012

    Very Nice photos

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