Serendipity

Visible Migration at its best this morning (Sunday 17th). I had not long read a pager message telling of 11 Little Egrets seen flying North-west over Hillfield Park Reservoir at 08:41 when I picked up, what was surely, the same flock of Little Egrets, viewed from the house, flying North-north-east over Walthamstow at 09:15. As it later transpired they actually flew South-east over Hillfield and must have done the 10 miles or so in 24 minutes. Even more amazingly it seems they had been seen East of Wilstone Reservoir at about 08:00 so must have covered the first 15 miles in about 40 minutes. Large flocks of Little Egrets are not exactly common inland and the coincidence of such a random number makes me believe they were all the same. Perhaps they were headed for the Thames estuary for the winter. I wonder where they came from.

As well as three observers being in the right place at the right time to witness this one was even more fortunate to have his camera ready too.



Thanks to Tony Blake for the photograph of them passing Hillfield.

PW