This time last year we were visited locally by a rare heron for the the UK. Cattle Egrets are the latest species thought to be on the verge of colonising. There were relatively frequent reports of sighting in the South West all through last winter and a pair remained to breed in the county of Somerset for the first time in the UK.
There had been a few reports of a pair around our local vicinity for a few weeks and I knew that eventually I would get a good close look at them and of course get a good photo opportunity. At around 3 this afternoon the torrential rain abated and we went out to the church yard at Powderham where there were reports of a couple in a sheep field adjacent. I knew exactly where to look and knew that if they were still there I would get chance to see them well and get a good photo or two. In fact there are now 3 present and they are feeding amongst a flock of sheep with a dozen or so Little Egret, always very common here.
They were feeding earth worms or so it appeared.

I have to say that the light was not particularly good and they were of course reasonably wary of my presence and it was very chilly in the late afternoon wind! I used the sheep as cover almost, and standing quite still apart from clicking the shutter, they got engrossed in their feeding and got a bit closer now and then.
Pretty lovely sheep as well!!
By the way, for those not too familiar with photographic technicalities. The grainy images are due to having to shoot at a highISO, 1600 in fact.