The Flat, Glencaple

Caerlaverock, Dumfries & Galloway

The Flat, Glencaple

Caerlaverock, Dumfries & Galloway

Tel: 01387 770348

The Little Egret – A Fine Sight But Not on a Hat!

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A few years ago I got really excited if I saw a single little egret across the river but last month there was a flock of a dozen or more. So they have now joined the long list of geese, duck and waders to be seen regularly from the Flat’s doorstep.

They are very easy to spot because of their intensely white plumage and so stand out clearly against the dark mud of the river bank. It’s a slim, elegant bird with a black bill and white plumes on the head in the summer, long, black legs and bright yellow feet – a petite and prettier version of the grey heron.

Once upon a time they were pretty common Great Britain. The fact that 1,000 were served up at the banquet to celebrate the enthronement of George Neville as Archbishop of York in 1465 surely proves the point. As Thomas Berwick commented in his A History of British Birds, volume II “Water Birds”, in 1804, if it was the same bird as listed in Neville’s bill of fare “No wonder this species has become nearly extinct in this country”.

And then to make matters worse, in the 19th century egret plumes were in great demand throughout Europe for decorating hats! In the first three months of 1885 a staggering 750,000 egret skins were sold in London.

 

Unsurprisingly, they had pretty much disappeared in Britain until the late 20th Century when happily they began to return – a warmer climate probably had something to do with it. They first started breeding way down south in Dorset in 1996 but then the first record of breeding in Scotland happened in 2020 in Dumfries & Galloway – maybe right here.

So come stay in Glencaple, bring your binoculars, and say hello to our newest avian resident.

Check out the Flat’s availability and rates and call Sue on 01387 770348 or email us at sue_greig@yahoo.co.uk if you’d like to book. You can also find us on the Vrbo website if you’d prefer to instantly book on-line.

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