Three village Little Egrets

Unintentionally flushed  by dog walkers, the birds quickly return to the stream or sit-it-out in the field

Two of the three birds viewable by the stream by the Shadoxhurst football pitch

Winter Little Egrets have become a not uncommon sight around the village in recent years. At the moment we have three birds all using the same stream which, crucially, in this present cold spell, has running water preventing it from freezing.

The stream has steep sides and shallow water and the Little Egrets are probably feeding on Water crickets and Sticklebacks which occasionally can be seen in the few clear areas of open water.

Much of the ditch is choked in undergrowth and it's hard to imagine it being much of a wildlife refuse, and yet in the past it has held Water Voles and the occasional sighting of a kingfisher.