Little Egret Ringing

On the morning of September 1st 2007, a juvenile Little Egret was caught in a reedbed mist net that was intended for Sedge Warbler!

Apart from being CHOG's first ringed Little Egret, the bird was interesting in that it carried many of the features of the infamous 1998 Stanpit Egret, which was initially conjectured to be something much rarer. The ringer, Ed Brett, also noted that the head feathering was still relatively downy, confirming this individual was quite a recent fledgling. Mark Andrews captured the event in a series of photographs.

Of further interest, the BTO ringing handbook for British birds that was on site didn't actually cover Little Egret, meaning a phone call had to be made to determine the correct ring size to fit. A scenario that underlines the huge change in status of this species in the UK.

What's in the bag, Ed?

Measuring up.
Note the brownish feathering.

Look at my new ring!
Note the leg and bill colouring.

Off and away.
Again, note the brown feathering.

All photographs by Mark Andrews