1/101.
Egretta garzetta Little egret
Location: fields >750m southeast of Marton Mere, Blackpool.Conditions: really difficult for photography: thick cloud, very dull, towards dusk. Unseasonably mild.
Photograph quality: 3.
Comments: 2 individuals feeding in shallow water, in flooded fields. Appeared as white dots to naked eye. Tripod, two-three extenders and very high ISO required to obtain useful shots. Considerable postproduction necessary.
My first success came earlier than I was expecting. While I was away over Christmas I saw repeated reports of one or two little egrets at Marton Mere, so I wanted to head down as soon as I returned. There's something really exciting about seeing a species that seems so exotic in a familiar environment. They were elegant and very striking. One individual pure white, the other tinged with pale brown.
Great to start with such a rare bird. A handful have been reported throughout the year around the Fylde, but they seem unpredictable. Increasing in range, but still quite unusual - the RSPB reports a wintering population of 4500.
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