GRC Blog


Welcome to the GRC Recorders pages. This blog provides details on all the relevant news of Glamorgan’s scarcer birds, plus all BBRC & WRP decisions that affect us locally. It will also be used to document the status and occurrence of these scarcer species and we welcome contributions from anyone with photographs, artwork or documentation of rarities past, present and future. The GRC also welcomes all seawatching news from around Glamorgan and news of passage migrants in spring & autumn, uncommon birds in our area and unusual behaviour.


All visitors are welcome. You must first register by sending an email to GlamRC@gmail.com before you can contribute. An invite will be sent to your email address. Blog content will be strictly moderated. Access to pages and downloads are available to everyone. All photographs on this blog remain the property of the originator.
If you would like to use photos, please arrange permission beforehand.


The Glamorgan Rarities Committee, in conjunction with the Glamorgan Bird Club & Gower Wildlife , have agreed to co-operate with the Welsh Ornithological Society in the sharing of bird records & photographs in the interest of keeping accurate records and to promote birdwatching in North, Mid & South Wales.

Thursday 15 May 2014

Great White Egret at Kenfig Saltmarsh

A breeding plumage Great White Egret proved to be a more difficult call than perhaps it should have been for me and Darren Coombs at the Kenfig Saltmarsh, this afternoon. On first view it did look fairly big amongst the vegetation but, frustratingly, not much to directly compare it with and it was difficult to see it in the open.
The breeding plumage all dark bill was not helping in very hazy conditions, but it was the bright red upper legs threw us right off course. The non-black legs seemingly ruling out a misjudged/mis-sized Little Egret. A quick call and conversation with Barry Stewart confirmed that the red tibia was in range for breeding plumage GWE. A little later the bird popped out of the vegetation to give away it's  size and it then flew off to check out the nearby scrapes. It was interesting that the more distant views of it in flight gave the impression of a bigger bird than some of it's brief closer range shorter flights.
The bird returned to the reedbed a little bit later and, although it remained hidden from our position after landing, it was thought to be present till at least 15:45

No comments: