Marlingford Great White Egret

Last Thursday Laura told me she had seen 3 men standing in the road near Marlingford with optics, wasn't sure what was there and couldn't stop to ask them. No news the blogs or birdguides so i thought nothing of it. Saturday morning and news of a Great White Egret near Marlingford, working Saturday and Sunday i hoped the bird stayed put. Online directions meant little, so Laura drove me to the place she had seen the men in the road. No birders, no cars but a Great White Egret in clear view. The bird was feeding in the dykes and flooded meadows just east of the village, feeding in the open the bird gave great views, even giving us a fly past, before continuing fishing. This was a long over due life tick, I've looked for a few in the past without success, and i really hadn't anticipated the massive size of this bird. Back in the garden another new 'garden tick' was a Redwing perched up in a tree two gardens down, but still viewable from our garden. The Blackcap appears to have left but the female Siskin still remains with the Goldfinch flock which has doubled in size to 10 birds in the last week.