On Wednesday 16th May a Little Egret was located at our Loch of Banks RSPB Reserve, an unusual visitor to Orkney at any time of year. Local photographer Morris Rendall managed to get a superb shot of the Little Egret with a family party of Greylag Geese. This image illustrates two very success bird species in the UK over the last 15 years (perhaps a little longer for Greylags!). Who would have thought in the 1980's Greylags would become such a widespread breeding species on Orkney with an estimated 1500+ pairs and on the south coast of Britain breeding Little Egrets now almost number 1000 pairs, the first pair bred in Dorset in 1996! It just shows how quickly things can change in the bird world.

Portrait of Little Egret & Greylag Geese at Loch of Banks - Morris Rendall
"I wonder if that Greylag would miss one of those goslings!"