An escaped, colour-ringed Little Egret.

Brockholes Quarry, Lancs, UK.

09.06.03.

Bill Aspin.

Bill Berry and John Wright located this bird on the main pool early evening of 9th June 2003. During the initial sighting, the bird was present until 19.00hrs, when it flew high SW.  However, at 19.50hrs, the bird was relocated by Tim Davie, Bill Berry and Lee Parnell, as it  flew NE upriver. There were no subsequent sightings.

The Egret was an adult and bore a thin orange colour ring on the right tarsus. JW was confident that no other rings were present and that the orange ring bore no letters or other inscription.

The nature of this ring was considered potentially suspicious and a subsequent search of the European colour-ringing website drew a blank. 

We were aware that there had recently been some escaped Little Egrets from Blackpool Zoo, of the form nigripes or immaculata, two of which had been seen at nearby Stanley Park Lake, Blackpool on 3rd May 2003 (an image of these birds is viewable on the Fylde Bird Club website, recent sightings page for 4th May).

With this in mind, a request for info regarding further details of the Blackpool escapees was put on the ELB daily sightings page. 

Fylde birders Mick and Pauline McGough asked Marton Mere warden Dave Mcgrath who in-turn kindly made enquiries to the Zoo

The response from Blackpool Zoo was that they have a combination
of ringed birds which includes the colour as worn by the BQ individual, plus birds with NO rings at all. Up to 8 of Little Egrets of the race/s specified above have escaped at various times. One died, but 7 more have been recaptured. They concluded that the Brockholes bird is almost certainly one of theirs.

So, a cautionary tale. Had this sighting involved flight views only, then  the escape possibilities of this bird would never have arose. All involved would presumably have been happy that a genuine European race Little Egret was involved.

Another colour-ringed Little Egret at Southport Marine Lake in Summer 2003 bore a long, green darvic ring with a three digit inscription. However, the colour of the feet appeared identical to the BQ bird, hence ruling out the european race 'garzetta', Additionally, a subsequent search of the european colour ringing website failed to produce a similar ringing scheme - Therefore, another escape!

Click here to view images of the latest unringed, 'dark-footed' Little Egret in East Lancs, at Wayoh Reservoir on 20th August 2003.

Particular thanks to Dave McGrath, Mick and Pauline McGough for the enquiries made to Blackpool Zoo and to all those named in the article. Thanks also to Steven Dunstan, Rob Stinger and Pete Crooks for additional comments.

Bill Aspin (13/07/03).