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| Great white egret on prowl for something to eat |
SUCCESSFUL breeding by a pair of great white egrets has been reported for the first time from Scotland.
On August 22, three left their nest (in the top of a tree) near the RSPB's Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve near Crimond in Aberdeenshire.
Says the reserve's delighted site manager, Richard Humpidge: "Adult great whites have become a regular sight here over the last few years, and we’re really pleased that they’ve chosen to raise a family this summer."
Great whites used to be occasional visitors only from continental Europe, but over recent decades they have begun breeding in Britain.
"The first such record was in 2012 on the Avalon Marshes in Somerset, close to RSPB Ham Wall, and they have since expanded their range, moving further north, and now as far as Scotland."
There have also been population increases in France, Spain and Italy.
The species has been a beneficiary both of less cold winters and of enhanced protection of wetland sites.
The RSPB expects the Loch of Strathbeg family to remain on the reserve for at least a few more weeks and possibly longer.
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| View across the loch - photo by Anne Burgess via Wikimedia Commons |
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