I am aware that the Club does not normally cover ornithological matters, but as I am not a member of any birdwatching group I thought that the spotting of an egret might be of interest to some club members.
At 1.15 pm today I observed from a distance of about 50 yards a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) standing on the southern edge of a rivulet known as Wicken Water (very low at the moment) where it passes through the middle of the village of Newport, in north-west Essex. When the bird became aware of my presence it lifted its head exposing its fairly long neck, before flying off in an easterly direction. I have seen many Little Egrets in Portugal, but never in England. To see such a bird in the UK at this time of the year seems extraordinary, I am not however an authority on birds. Any comments upon this sighting by Club members will be of interest.
Bari Hooper