Little Egret Roost Watch - Healthy Life Essex

On the evening of 14 August, Glen and I joined members of the Essex Wildlife Trust for the annual Little Egret Roost Watch. By the time we arrived at the viewing point on Two Tree Island there was already a good crowd of people.

 

Binoculars and scopes were on hand and it was amazing to see these delicate flashes of white dangle their black legs ready for a landing. In 2007, 118 were counted on Two Tree Island and during the 45 minutes we were at this year’s event, the total reached over 100.

 

Little Egrets are wetland birds and prefer shallow lowland waters, particularly coastal and estuary sites, so Leigh is an ideal habitat with its inlets and pockets of land at Two Tree. During cold weather, they can often be seen along creeks and rivers, which explains sightings along Prittle Brook.

 

Ten years ago this very pretty miniature heron, measuring about 60cms, two thirds the height of a Grey Heron, was a very rare sight in Essex. Once persecuted by the Victorians for their ornamental crest feathers, it is a protected species. Concern for its welfare and that of other plumed birds such as the Grebe and Osprey in the late 1880’s led two ladies groups in Croydon to join together to form the Society for the Protection of Birds (now the RSPB) in 1889.

 

We left with a very good image of the bird and I look forward to seeing more of this beautiful addition to our coastal waters.