Great White Egret

Trevor Gunby · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:55 pm

Still on the south west pits at Kirkby on Bain this morning. This is the eighth day since it was first spotted by Russ Telfer - are we to be treated to another long stayer?

John Harry · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:26 pm

I hear from John & Alex that it was on West pits this afternoon still.

Roy Harvey · **Joined:** Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:23 pm **Posts:** 956

I eventually managed to get some film of the Great White Egret today when it was on the Western pits but
found the bird to be very wary and mobile. I saw it fly low towards the back pits at about noon but it was reported to have been showing from the hide at around 2.30 pm.
Large numbers of gulls on the tip but I hadn't time to check through them.

Roy

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Sun Dec 11, 2011 12:57 pm

I thought I would try my luck with the Great White Egret this morning (Sun), especially as the weather had improved so much.

I arrived at the Kirkby-on Bain LWT hide at 10.20 and on entering it, I saw there was only one other birder inside........intently watching and photographing the Great White Egret which was perched straddling the top of an Alder on the bank just across the Pit to the right of the hide. Thanks to Lincs birder Mark Easterbrook for immediately pointing out the bird, thus enabling me to get some extended and really close views. (Mark said that it was his 4th visit for the bird, so I really hit lucky.

) It stayed at the top of the tree until c 10.30 when it departed in a Westerly direction.

Also pleased to meet up for a chat with John Harry and Mark Bibby who from a different vantage point had been watching the Egret leaving its perch on the treetop and fly West.

A Sparrowhawk flashed across in front of the car in Tattershall Thorpe en route there and a Buzzard was a welcome sight flying across the fields on my return to BBH.

Freddy
PS. Apparently, the Kirkby-on Bain bird is one of c 30 Great White Egrets in the UK at the moment and there is already talk on the web as to whether the GWE might actually nest in the UK in the next few years.

John Harry · **Posted:** Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:23 pm

Great to see all at Kirkby today - great views wer had later with Mark, John and I saw it cross back across South pits at 1135 and then it settled on South West pits for a bit of fishing, then went onto the furthest South West pit (1st pit on left from Coningsby - a settling one).

Very nice to see this one after missing last years one!

Roy Harvey · **Joined:** Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:23 pm **Posts:** 956

We called in at Kirkby on our wayback from Norfolk this afternoon as Linda had not seen the Great White Egret.
Thanks to Trevor Gunby pointing us in the right direction we saw the bird in the pit that was on the opposite side of the road from the hide. It was resting up in the company of a Little Egret and a Grey Heron.

Roy

Trevor Gunby · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:32 pm

Haven't heard any reports for over a week but the bird appeared again on the south west pits at 10 o'clock this morning (is it going to over winter here?).

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:19 am

Anyone willing to give me a lift to try and see it, if it's still there?

Robert Carr · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2011 5:35 pm

Yesterday there was a note in the hide at Kirkby Pits that the Great Egret had been seen in the pit opposite the car park for the landfill. I checked it out but no success.

I went again this afternoon and found 3 Little Egrets roosting in the first pit on the left hand side of the road to the landfill - but no Great Egret again.

They were my fourth and fifth dips for this bird which is now far and away my worst run.

Happy Christmas!

Robert

Robert Carr · **Posted:** Mon Dec 26, 2011 1:30 pm

Success at the sixth attempt! Present on the pit opposite the landfill site, on the far side, at noon. Also Redpoll and Siskin on the road there.

Rob

Russell Hayes · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2011 12:26 pm

Still present this morning on pit opposite the landfill site, down landfill site road and second pit on the left of road ( not the pit opposite the landfill site entrance)

Trevor Gunby · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:41 pm

Was on the south west pits again to-day at 13:00 hrs - now well into its fifth week here!!

John Harry · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:14 pm

Still on SW pit feeding away. Currently watching it with no scope or binos! Hopefully it will stay till at least 1st Jan 12.

Best place to watch from is the gateway 275 yds from sand & gravel entrance if approaching from Coningsby.

It disappeared once the rain came over the back of the gravel pits but sure is hanging around

Phil Hyde · **Posted:** Sat Dec 31, 2011 5:28 pm

Still on the second pit as you walk along the entrance to the tip, but very elusive, 3.30pm onwards. Also 7 Little Egrets roosting in hawthorns as I left at 4.15

Phil

John Lusby · **Posted:** Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:07 pm

one been seen at manby flashes today reported to me at doona hook by a birder over for the hoils john lusby.

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Great White Egret

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