Three species, one photo (1 Viewer)

[Poppy and Hamish]

I have never seen a cattle egret before, and saw one today. I was very pleased to be able to get a picture of him/her following a successful hunt! This was at Ferry Meadows, I had stayed overnight at the campsite there while visiting family. Sadly the weather was very dull, so not the best of shots, due to the poo lighting and blown my whites

 

[Bailey58]

Is that one of its chicks it's holding or some unfortunate morsel for dinner?

Ah, just realised you said 3 species so not its own chick.

 

[Ridgeway]

Looks like 2 species now...

Field vole

 

[funflair]

Is that one of its chicks it's holding or some unfortunate morsel for dinner?

Ah, just realised you said 3 species so not its own chick.

The latter, but brilliant photo all the same

 

[Poppy and Hamish]

Is that one of its chicks it's holding or some unfortunate morsel for dinner?

Ah, just realised you said 3 species so not its own chick.

Well deduced, although if you zoom in you should be able to see it more clearly and it's a vole

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[Poppy and Hamish]

The latter, but brilliant photo all the same

Thanks. I hadn't used my long lens for months and months, so was pleased to get this picture today

 

[Ridgeway]

PS should have said, yet again once of the best pics i've seen in a while !!!

You certainly know how to take em

 

[Ingwe]

Great photo.
Egret’s holding up the vole to the cow as a gift to say “thanks for not plopping near my nest“.

 

[cliffanger]

Brilliant photo! You should send it to Countryfile for next year’s Calendar (although they’d probably put a ‘trigger warning’ on it)!

When we lived in Liberia they were known as Cow Birds - I didn’t know they were called Cattle Egrets here!

 

[Mikey RV]

Great picture.

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[L' Hobo]

Brilliant photo! You should send it to Countryfile for next year’s Calendar (although they’d probably put a ‘trigger warning’ on it)!

When we lived in Liberia they were known as Cow Birds - I didn’t know they were called Cattle Egrets here!

I don't think they are called Cattle Egrets in Britain just Large & Small Egrets. Cattle Egrets are usually found in places like Africa and ride on the beasts back. Never seen that in the UK but I stand to be corrected.

 

[namwaldog]

Great picture, Thanks

 

[cliffanger]

I don't think they are called Cattle Egrets in Britain just Large & Small Egrets. Cattle Egrets are usually found in places like Africa and ride on the beasts back. Never seen that in the UK but I stand to be corrected.

We’ve got photos of cow birds riding on cow’s backs outside our window in Bomi Hills!

 

[Poppy and Hamish]

I don't think they are called Cattle Egrets in Britain just Large & Small Egrets. Cattle Egrets are usually found in places like Africa and ride on the beasts back. Never seen that in the UK but I stand to be corrected.

Cattle Egret Bird Facts | Bubulcus Ibis - The RSPB

Slightly smaller but much rarer than the little egret, cattle egrets are visiting the UK in increasing numbers. Find out more

www.rspb.org.uk

It’s a cattle egret in winter plumage. You do get them in the UK, I am in several wildlife photography groups and many others have seen them too. It’s a rarer bird so usually makes the bird sightings lists when they appear, and it’s known amongst the photographers and twitchers that there is one in that field. The little egret has a black beak. The great white egret is much larger. In a different photo I took you can see the fading colours from it’s summer plumage. I will look for it.

 

[Poppy and Hamish]

Brilliant photo! You should send it to Countryfile for next year’s Calendar (although they’d probably put a ‘trigger warning’ on it)!

When we lived in Liberia they were known as Cow Birds - I didn’t know they were called Cattle Egrets here!

Thank you. Haha, yes, I did wonder if wider audiences might be upset for the poor vole. I am in a bird group on Facebook that is a mix of people who like birds, and photographers. Some of the group members get quite upset with some of the raptor pictures with their prey, but they are often fantastic photographs

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[Poppy and Hamish]

Here we go, it is much easier to tell it is a cattle egret in this one. Still some colouration on its head where summer plumage hasn’t completely gone. Yellow beak, not black beak. Stumpy neck, not long elegant neck as in GWE.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Couple of quick questions Poppy and Hamish
Are your pics straight out of the camera - or do you post process at all?
Do you shoot in RAW or JPeg format

Just trying to understand how to be a better "snapper"

 

[Speve]

I don't think they are called Cattle Egrets in Britain just Large & Small Egrets. Cattle Egrets are usually found in places like Africa and ride on the beasts back. Never seen that in the UK but I stand to be corrected.

There is a breeding rookery of them near the Great Ouse on the fensAlso little Egrets

 

[Poppy and Hamish]

Couple of quick questions Poppy and Hamish
Are your pics straight out of the camera - or do you post process at all?
Do you shoot in RAW or JPeg format

Just trying to understand how to be a better "snapper"

I shoot in JPEG. I don't do a lot of post processing, but perhaps some cropping and minor adjustments to exposure/shadows etc if the picture is a little dark for example (in Lightroom, not Photoshop)

 

[L' Hobo]

There is a breeding rookery of them near the Great Ouse on the fensAlso little Egrets

Whereabouts on the Gt Ouse, my Father had a farm abutting the Little Ouse many years ago.

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[Norfolk Nige]

Great pictures Poppy and Hamish

 

[Speve]

Whereabouts on the Gt Ouse, my Father had a farm abutting the Little Ouse many years ago.

Down near Earith Im sorry I can’t recall the Fen though but you could walk fairly close and observe from other side of a lake

 

[Speve]

Whereabouts on the Gt Ouse, my Father had a farm abutting the Little Ouse many years ago.

Here’s the area for you.

 

[TheAleMan]

Wow. Cattle Egret about to eat what looks like a water vole ? Incredible photo.

 

[Poppy and Hamish]

‘It feels like a sign’: joy at rise in cattle egrets on wildlife-friendly UK farms

Farmers who have taken regenerative approach hail birds as indication of ecosystem health

www.theguardian.com

For those who were interested in Cattle Egrets in the UK

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