THIS great white egret was seen by Steve Coney and Nick Pegler of the Herefordshire Ornithological Club at Brockhall gravel pit near Credenhill.

Mr Coney, who is the Herefordshire county bird recorder, said the sighting at the end of November was a first for the county.

He said: “We were very excited. We contacted as many local birdwatchers as possible and many have been to see the bird in its stay in the site.”

The Great White

The RSPCA says the great white egret favours wetland habitats - even farmland ditches can attract them.

The bird, bigger than a mallard, eats fish, insects and frogs, caught by spearing with its long, sharp beak.

It was only this year the species bred for the first time in Britain in Somerset.

The egret’s vist to Herefordshire comes after a cream-coloured courser stopped off at Kington Golf Course in May while a osprey spent several days at Bredwardine in September.

  • If you spot a rare bird in Herefordshire, let us know. Send your pictures to news@herefordtimes.com or upload to our Facebook page.