Malcolm Brownsword writes: On 9 August Valerie and I went for a walk along the banks of the Thames, from the bridge by The Barley Mow downstream towards Little Wittenham. After only a few hundred metres we came to a large pool, one of several created by The Earth Trust in the Upper Thames region, and were pleasantly surprised to see a (ringed) Great White Egret.
The range of this species in the UK is increasing rapidly, and they are often seen at Blenheim Lake and on Otmoor, but it was a surprise to see this one, particularly since we were primarily looking for dragonflies, but saw none!
We first saw Great White Egrets on a Greenwings trip to Norfolk in 2018 and several were seen during the more recent WOFC trip to the Somerset Levels with Peter Creed. They are about the same size as a Grey Heron. The bill can be yellow, black, or yellow and black. The legs and feet are black (c.f. the much smaller Little Egret, whose feet are yellow).
The Earth Trust have created another pool by the Thames further downstream near Little Wittenham, which is best accessed from the lock on the outskirts of the village. Large numbers of waders, ducks and geese can be seen here in the winter months.
Malcolm Brownsword 14 August 2023
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