Blast From The Past Finds...Great White Egret

Great White Egret is a thrash bird in Ireland these days. It's not up for debate. They are a scarcity, have probably bred, and are destined to be as widespread and common as Little Egret in times to come I dare say.

Like with Little Egret, however, there was a time when it was a mind blowing bird.

My first was a bird which wintered at Roundwood reservoir, Co. Wicklow of all places, but my first self found bird was a different story.

Kilcoole, October 30th, 2000

On the 30th of October, myself, Ciarán Smyth and the rest of Clan Foley tipped down to Kilcoole to twitch a pair of White-Rumped Sandpipers which were in situ on the BWI reserve.

On the way down, somewhere around Glen of the downs, whilst we were all looking through the bird books, Conor flicked over the page to Great White Egret, and I said "Ohhh it will probably be some time before to claw that species back on us (myself and CAS having seen the bird at roundwood).

Success with WR Sands was pretty instantaneous and we enjoyed point blank views of them from the railway line.

Whilst watching these, I picked up movement out of the corner of my eye to the right, turned, and raised my bins to see an egret flying in from the North.

My hands began to shake as I registered a big yellow bill and long black legs and black feet and generally ginormous size.

I started blathering and pointing and the lads and Conor raised his bins and said "Great White Egret!" To which I said "Yeah, that."

The bird came in and landed right in front of us on the marsh and we all lashed our scopes onto it, ooohing and aaahing for a max of 60 seconds, before the bird again lifted and continued on south, on view until it was a spec in the distance and then gone.

And that was that. A mega, I believe 6th for Ireland, in the bag and done in less than five minutes. Total.

I've found a fair few more over the years, including in counties, Wexford and Cork, but that one way back over a quarter of a century ago remains the most standout memory. 

This bird at Lissagriffin is the only one if have found in the phoneskoping era, and was an enjoyable find on a visit home.