Another Garden Rarity.

 Until the late 80s Little Egrets were regarded as 'A very rare passage migrant'. in Dorset, occuring in low single figures. My son, John, saw one in Poole Harbour then and had to  submit a full description to the British Birds Rarities Committe for scruteny before it was admitted to the national records. Numbers started to increase in the nineties; in 1999 a total of 226 were seen in the main coastal sites and there has been a steady increase since.  The birds are now frequent visitors to the village and a pair have often roosted in the Manor House trees adjacent to the road, and foraged up and down the stream. It came as a big surprise though to see, on Christmas Day morning, one standing in my front garden. A great garden tick and a new one for my weekly Garden Birds website entry.

 Little Egret in Tregerrick Garden. Photo. John Elliott  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a further surprise on Boxing Day morning was a Grey Wagtail in the back garden feeding on the bird table. The bird was very active, they don't stand around like the Egrets, and I didn't manage to get a photo.

Further to my remarks on the Moorhen below,  we now have these three birds which normally live and feed quite happily by the stream, coming into our gardens.  This usually  only occurs in very cold, freezing conditions, which recent weather has not been, and food is then difficult to find. I fear something has gone seriously wrong with the South Winterborne to drive these birds away.