Harbridge revisited (again)

I had to be up at the crack of dawn this morning, actually, rather earlier, and having got my chore out of the way I decided to go early down to Harbridge to photograph the Great White Egret which was bound to be there. It was a beautiful morning, albeit frosty and I left full of optimism. When I arrived the steady northerly wind soon warned me to add hat and gloves to my existing layers and I stood around counting the 8 Bewick Swans which turned into 13, and 17 Greylag geese which turned into 8 as 9 flew off southwards.

 

Shortly afterwards, in the distance, while I was trying to turn some of the Greylags into Bean Geese, a flock of 69 of what I first thought were probably Lapwings but with binoculars proved to be Black Tailed Godwits wheeled around mesmerically and entertained me for a few seconds. My immiediate thought of Lapwings was probably just because I had seen a similar size flock here a couple of days ago and complacency slipped in. I'm blaming the numbing cold whatever anyone says.

After a short time (which seemed like a long time) I felt something behind me, you know that feeling of when there is something dangerous behind you and it won't go away unless you turn round and it isn't there? Like that, only without the dangerous. So of course I turned round, but on the other side of the road there was just a Mute Swan. I crossed the road anyway and WAIT.... is that an Egret behind the reeds??

Of course my sixth sense that had led me turn round told me it was the Great White Egret I'd come to look for. How fortuitous...

 

...It wasn't. Nevermind, Little Egrets are always good to see, I am always mindful that however great their success here over the last couple of decades, their failure could be no further away, and they should never be taken for granted. I watched it fly past very close and was felt grateful for the sight.

 

After a short while longer with nothing much else turning up, I decided I was too cold and would move on, During a short chat with a very nice woman (with binoculars) in a lorry who had parked up behind me, a male Kestrel found something of interest quite close, and despite a drop to the floor, came up with nothing. All that energy wasted!

 

  

  

 

I gave up after this and thought as it was still early, I'd head off to Eyeworth and see if the Goosanders were back, I will leave that until tomorrow though because I saw something which may be commonplace there, but I thought extraordinary.