Getting this close to a Little Egret is not the easiest thing in the world, but from the comfort  and security of a hide, pretty simple really. This morning I went as usual to my Kingfisher hide and sat completely hidden, under  my camo cover.  I was disappointed when the Kingfisher didn't perch in front of me today, just a couple of "fly- pasts'. The compensation though was the resident Little Egret. Yesterday I had bought some sprats from a local supermarket and when I came away at Dusk last evening I had left a  couple in the vicinity of my hide area. It was therefore, very exciting when I arrived at first light, to see that the sprats had been taken……. by who I wonder?  I think the Little Egret was the culprit. He walked deliberately up the bank towards me today, and when he got to me, now only 3 to 4 feet away, he had a really good look around for more free offerings. I had forgotten to bring more sprats out with me because, to be honest, I hadn't expected them to be eaten. Had I  scattered a few more then I am pretty certain he would have eaten them. So you can imagine that this is definitely on the agenda for later today and tomorrow.

I remember my first sighting of a Little Egret in the UK. It was in around 1992, and I remember being very excited. Now they are commonplace here in Devon and lots of other places on the South Coast and are spreading quickly further north. However, the RSPB website states that there are less than 200 breeding pairs in the UK which makes them still a scarce breeding bird really. There is a breeding colony locally so they are a bird that you can guarantee to see on any day here in Exeter.