Birdwatching from the beer garden of the Bridge Inn at Topsham. A little egret standing by the River Clyst, preening itself while waiting for the tide to drop a little before starting fishing.
Much excitement. The feathers on its plume, and some on its head, were reddish / brownish. Could it be a cattle egret, rather than a little egret? There are birds from all three egret species around in the Exe estuary area, though little egrets are by far the commonest.
The excitement didn’t last. Cattle egrets don’ have plumes. Perhaps the darkened feathers are from the bird getting estuary mud on itself – it’s about the right colour.