White Heron like bird id.

trebor28

was out for a walk this morning and saw this fella.
at first i thought it was a grey heron but it it seemed very white a a bit smaller.
i got a second viewing and got these snaps of him.

hadnt the camera set up properly as i wanted to get a shot of him before he left and also it was hard to see what the photos were like when it was so bright.

Judgement Day

Little Egret - surely?

trebor28

Judgement Day wrote: »

Little Egret - surely?

that was what i thought from looking on rspb bird id'er.

how big are little egrets?

this bird was only about the size of a large crow maybe slightly bigger.

Rainbowsend

Cattle Egrets are slightly smaller than a Little Egret but have a yellow beak, Little Egret would be my guess also, did you see its feet? they are big and yellow, and they would be quite a bit bigger than a crow.

This is a Little Egret

johngalway

Similar bird around here of late also, if I see one tomorrow I'll try for a photo. Know of two places they've been seen.

Are they uncommon?

cwgatling

They are quite common now, but I think I remember reading that 10-15 years ago they would have been rarities here. Lovely bird.

kildare.17hmr

i saw a little egrit while out hunting one day during the snow, i thought it was a young heron untill now! he was hanging around a part of the field that a river runs through, i watched him for ages and it seemed like he couldnt fly. havent seen it since

trebor28

Rainbowsend wrote: »

Cattle Egrets are slightly smaller than a Little Egret but have a yellow beak, Little Egret would be my guess also, did you see its feet? they are big and yellow, and they would be quite a bit bigger than a crow.

This is a Little Egret

no didnt see its feet.
sorry i meant when flying they wouldnt be that much bigger than a large crow. obviously their long legs would make them bigger than crows.

could it have been a juvenile??

your pic looks like a bigger bird than mine.

LostCovey

trebor28 wrote: »

no didnt see its feet.
sorry i meant when flying they wouldnt be that much bigger than a large crow. obviously their long legs would make them bigger than crows.

could it have been a juvenile??

your pic looks like a bigger bird than mine.

Your bird looks full-grown.

They reach full size very quickly. They are not enormously bigger than a crow (when you discount the long legs and neck).

LC

trebor28

LostCovey wrote: »

Your bird looks full-grown.

They reach full size very quickly. They are not enormously bigger than a crow (when you discount the long legs and neck).

LC

sounds like one so.

how common are they??
dont think i have ever seen one before and definitely not around here.

will keep and eye out for them in future.

Judgement Day

Quite widespread throughout the country now and tend to frequent estuaries and happily best beside herons in their heronries. See this pic taken in July last year at Swords in North Dublin: http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/23528/Little_Egret.html

sables2

Judgement Day wrote: »

Quite widespread throughout the country now and tend to frequent estuaries and happily best beside herons in their heronries. See this pic taken in July last year at Swords in North Dublin: http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/23528/Little_Egret.html

We get them...(or one?) in Cabinteely Park off the N11. they are very much secluded from other birds and rarely out of the waters edge. Great to observe and monitor

Connacht

Saw one outside Enniscorthy at the edge of the Slaney recently. Beautiful bird.