Tuesday 19 May 2009

Little Suprise!

Got a call from Steve H tonight saying there was a Little Egret- Patch Tick, at Arcot pond! After missing the GW Egret last month I knew I had to get there before the jealous Grey Heron chased it away.
I got to the pond about ten minutes later after scrounging a lift just in time to see the Heron chase the Egret off the water. It flew around the trees at the back of the pond before landing in a tree near the south west corner.
Steve scoped it and for once I could see the yellow feet which are usually covered in water as well as the long white hair on the back of its head, I should really find out the technical name for those hairs.
It didn't stay in the tree long and it flew off west. I have never seen a Little Egret next to a Grey Heron before and really appreciated the Little in Egret.
As we waited in hope of it returning a Common Tern - Patch Tick, landed on the dead wood in the middle of the pond.

98 - Little Egret

99- Common Tern

3 comments:

Alan Tilmouth said...

Plumes.

John Malloy said...

The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette", referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.

Glad you caught up with it last night!

Crammy Birder said...

cheers, I still need to find out more about the technical terms.