Great White Egret at Crosmere

This is my second Salop Great White Egret after Matthew Webb finding one some twenty three years ago when it was rare in the UK Aug '95, just a field away from this individual at Woodlane! 

  On the 11th January, a Great White Egret was seen in flooded fields in the Cuckshutt area, a few miles south of Ellesmere. Not surprising it was relocated a few fields away at Crosemere. That was nearly three weeks ago on the 16th and today I took the chance in hoping that it might be still in the area. From the top of the slope looking over Crosemere, I scanned and I couldn't see anythin of note but I could hear a Cetti's Warbler calling in the NE corner. As this was only my second Salop record, I wanted to see it. I made my ways down to the edge of the mere and after twenty minutes of listening, all I saw was it briefly in flight a few times and a obscured view of it in the rushes. I gave up and turned around to see the Great White Egret flying overhead! It circled the mere and flew out NE before dropping like a stone in some nearby woods where I lost it. As I returned to the car I got a female Stonechat and could still hear the Cetti's Warbler.
  There was no sign of 'Cyclops' the Yellow-legged Gull at Hortonwood

Like elsewhere, Great White Egret is turning up more frequently in Shropshire and when this individual was first found in mid Jan, there was another one in the Clun area in the south of the county.  

My second Salop Cetti's Warbler is in there somewhere. Didn't quite show as well as the individual that wintered two years ago at Prisorlee Lake. Like the GWE, Cetti's Warbler is also becoming more regular in the county but I believe this is a first for the meres area.