East Anglia A day of gifts

[Si-fly]

Wow, on your rod!.. What a sight... Guess you'll never forget that day.

Such amazing birds, not seen many since moving over to sea fishing, just the odd ones over the years out walking, and one above my pond recently.

You mentioned "Curlew", strangely the lad fishing next to me pointed one out last trip. A fair way out to sea heading towards Steart salt Marsh I'm guessing. Never realised they are quite a sizable bird. I'm also interested in the Giant egret?... Do you know if any are down in somerset? The wife asked as she saw 2 very large "egrets" a month or so ago again in the Steart reserve.

All the best bud Si. ?

 

[Sole intentions]

Wow, on your rod!.. What a sight... Guess you'll never forget that day.

Such amazing birds, not seen many since moving over to sea fishing, just the odd ones over the years out walking, and one above my pond recently.

You mentioned "Curlew", strangely the lad fishing next to me pointed one out last trip. A fair way out to sea heading towards Steart salt Marsh I'm guessing. Never realised they are quite a sizable bird. I'm also interested in the Giant egret?... Do you know if any are down in somerset? The wife asked as she saw 2 very large "egrets" a month or so ago again in the Steart reserve.

All the best bud Si. ?

The Curlew is indeed a fair size, in fact it is the largest of all the waders.

I would say there is every chance the bird your wife saw being a Great Egret. As looking at the location map I have lifted from RSPB website, they have clearly been seen there. Parts of Somerset and Norfolk have a lot of similarities when it comes to wetlands. Though I bet we've still got more toes and better webbing. ??

 

[Kine262]

Wow, on your rod!.. What a sight... Guess you'll never forget that day.

Such amazing birds, not seen many since moving over to sea fishing, just the odd ones over the years out walking, and one above my pond recently.

You mentioned "Curlew", strangely the lad fishing next to me pointed one out last trip. A fair way out to sea heading towards Steart salt Marsh I'm guessing. Never realised they are quite a sizable bird. I'm also interested in the Giant egret?... Do you know if any are down in somerset? The wife asked as she saw 2 very large "egrets" a month or so ago again in the Steart reserve.

All the best bud Si. ?

When I read this is made me think of a newspaper report I read about seven or eight weeks ago about Great Egrets not being classed as rare any more in the UK.

Great white egret no longer rare bird as numbers boom across UK and Europe

Egrets? We’ve had a few

www.independent.co.uk

On the Kingfisher thing, I am lucky in that I have a private stretch of a small river that I fish where we see kingfishers every time we go. I've had them on the rod a couple of times too, so it always surprises me when a neighbour starts raving about seeing a kingfisher when they walk along the river across the road. I forget that I am just sitting there quietly for hours at a time!

 

[Sole intentions]

When I read this is made me think of a newspaper report I read about seven or eight weeks ago about Great Egrets not being classed as rare any more in the UK.

Great white egret no longer rare bird as numbers boom across UK and Europe

Egrets? We’ve had a few

www.independent.co.uk

On the Kingfisher thing, I am lucky in that I have a private stretch of a small river that I fish where we see kingfishers every time we go. I've had them on the rod a couple of times too, so it always surprises me when a neighbour starts raving about seeing a kingfisher when they walk along the river across the road. I forget that I am just sitting there quietly for hours at a time!

Fascinating and highly educational, thanks for sharing. It's turned out to be yet another day of learning on planet earth. ??

 

[Beach]

The Curlew is indeed a fair size, in fact it is the largest of all the waders.

I would say there is every chance the bird your wife saw being a Great Egret. As looking at the location map I have lifted from RSPB website, they have clearly been seen there. Parts of Somerset and Norfolk have a lot of similarities when it comes to wetlands. Though I bet we've still got more toes and better webbing. ??

I have seen Egrets small and great sizes on the nature reserve at Cuckmere Haven whilst fishing for mullet in the river.

 

[Sole intentions]

Back in January, I witnessed a group of approximately 8 or 9 Bearded Tits feeding on the seed heads of the reeds. It was at dusk so the photographs I was able to take were sadly not great. Though I guess that had the light levels been any higher, I probably would never have been able to get so close to these rather special little birds. Yet another gift from the estuary.