Hi Andy not sure this is a Great White? Bare parts look right but structure looks to small difficult to judge from pics but neck looks thick and short for GWE? Did you get a pic with neck up? A very interesting bird indeed! Thanks for posting pics.
Hi Alan, I have added a couple of extra pictures at the bottom of the post, unfortunately didn't get a pic with neck properly up, the only time the bird properly extended his neck was when it was getting buzzed by BHGulls, and didn't manage to get a pic then. When the bird first came in we were debating over the bird for a while, as something didn't quite feel right over the bird before coming a bit more comfortable that it was a GWE. Very interested to hear what you think!
The more and more I look at the pictures, the more I am getting less happy over it being a GWE! The structure and behavior of the bird doesn't point me any closer to Little either though!
This bird looks very similar to an Egret I saw briefly at IMF a few years back - almost identical in fact.
It was clearly too large to be a Little Egret and yet didn't seem quite right for a Great White Egret.
Had I been in India where I have seen a fair few Egret species I would have immediately thought of Intermediate Egret given that the gape line on the bird does not extend beyond the eye (I think with GWEs this is always the case?). It also has a angular head which I also think is indicative of Intermediate Egret? However, from memory, Intermediate Egrets have dark legs I think...
Hi Andy, Richard here from Dolydd Hafren. Nice pix.
I've just been to DH and have a poor long distance shot of both this Cattle Egret??? and a Little egret in the dead alder. This one seems smaller than the LE, has a short thick yellow beak, pale legs and no 'kink' in the neck; I'm not saying this is the same bird as yours, but I'm putting 50p on Cattle Egret for this one. I'll email the shot to Robin. Note the relative size to the crows.
Hi chaps. Looking at the bird's structure it looks like a Little Egret to me. With the colours of the bare parts (legs, bill etc...) I would say it is just a bright juvenile Little Egret, never-the-less an interesting looking bird.
Hi Andy not sure this is a Great White? Bare parts look right but structure looks to small difficult to judge from pics but neck looks thick and short for GWE? Did you get a pic with neck up? A very interesting bird indeed! Thanks for posting pics.
ReplyDeleteHi Alan, I have added a couple of extra pictures at the bottom of the post, unfortunately didn't get a pic with neck properly up, the only time the bird properly extended his neck was when it was getting buzzed by BHGulls, and didn't manage to get a pic then. When the bird first came in we were debating over the bird for a while, as something didn't quite feel right over the bird before coming a bit more comfortable that it was a GWE. Very interested to hear what you think!
ReplyDeleteThe more and more I look at the pictures, the more I am getting less happy over it being a GWE! The structure and behavior of the bird doesn't point me any closer to Little either though!
ReplyDeleteThis bird looks very similar to an Egret I saw briefly at IMF a few years back - almost identical in fact.
ReplyDeleteIt was clearly too large to be a Little Egret and yet didn't seem quite right for a Great White Egret.
Had I been in India where I have seen a fair few Egret species I would have immediately thought of Intermediate Egret given that the gape line on the bird does not extend beyond the eye (I think with GWEs this is always the case?). It also has a angular head which I also think is indicative of Intermediate Egret? However, from memory, Intermediate Egrets have dark legs I think...
An interesting bird nonetheless.
Paul S.
Hi Andy, Richard here from Dolydd Hafren. Nice pix.
ReplyDeleteI've just been to DH and have a poor long distance shot of both this Cattle Egret??? and a Little egret in the dead alder. This one seems smaller than the LE, has a short thick yellow beak, pale legs and no 'kink' in the neck; I'm not saying this is the same bird as yours, but I'm putting 50p on Cattle Egret for this one.
I'll email the shot to Robin. Note the relative size to the crows.
Hi chaps. Looking at the bird's structure it looks like a Little Egret to me. With the colours of the bare parts (legs, bill etc...) I would say it is just a bright juvenile Little Egret, never-the-less an interesting looking bird.
ReplyDelete