Little Egrets

Little Egrets are a small white heron with attractive white plumes on crest, back and chest. They have black legs and bill and bright yellow feet. They are smaller than the grey heron and about half the size of the great white egret. They first appeared in the UK in significant numbers at the end of the 1980's and were first recorded as a breeding bird in the UK in Dorset in 1996.

From being a bird that once would have caused a twitch it's now a fairly common sight after its natural range expanded into the UK from western and northern France.

Today, there are thousands of breeding pairs and overwintering birds, particularly in England and Wales and they can be spotted regularly in coastal areas, estuaries, and on inland waterways. This one was photographed in Lincolnshire and I've photographed them many times in Yorkshire.

The BTO estimates that the UK breeding population exceeds 2,000 pairs, with thousands more visiting during the year..

They are most common in southern and eastern England and Wales but they can be seen at most wetland areas throughout the UK throughout the year. The warming climate in the UK has allowed them to spread further north and they have now successfully bred in Scotland.