cowbird tick

So I managed a second island tick on the weekend but this one was, unlike the waxwing, not a lifer. In fact it was a bird I've seen on 4 continents (I think?) and a bird I used to see every day for 3 years but which I was surprised to discover has appeared here only once. The Cattle Egret.



Cattle Egrets are massively widespread as a species and yet they are only now establishing a foothold in the UK (in 20 years they will probably be everywhere just like little egret). On our little island we had quite a few birds the year before last I think but this is our first vagrant of the year. It was doing what cattle egrets do, following cattle, digging in their poo and stuff.



Disappointingly the obvious composition using our rare breed island cattle and the bird was undermined somewhat by a) the appalling light; and b) the cows abandoning their grazing and running up to see me in the hope I was bringing food.