Deep within the heart of the Dee Estuary is an oasis of wonder and wildlife and never more so than in autumn. Summer's vibrant green has gone, and oranges and reds now set the tone at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands near Neston, on the Wirral peninsula. There’s an autumn chill in the air, when suddenly through the midst of the dusky sky a ghostly, white and prehistoric figure cuts a shape in the distance, others appear, and a loud clattering chatter echoes through the air.

The ethereal creatures engage their landing gear, long gangly legs reach out in front, grappling for the branches of trees. Large white wings open out to the side as the figures approach landing. These strange, primeval-looking birds are egrets and they arrive every evening to roost in the safety of Burton Mere Wetlands’ secluded woodland.

Not long ago seeing just one of these white heron-like birds would cause a stir. Little Egrets began to recolonise the UK around the 1990s, making their way north from the continent. Before then they were a rare sight – the catalyst for many birdwatchers to embark on sometimes extreme missions to see one. The egret roost at Burton Mere Wetlands, a place where the birds come together to roost at night, now not only hosts more than 200 Little Egrets, but up to 40 Great White Egrets and sometimes even Cattle Egrets, which are more commonly associated with buffalo on the African plains.

The densely wooded islands on the historic mere itself provide an ideal roosting site for such a hefty number of egrets. They appear a little ungainly and out of place. However, treetop roosting is a safety-in-numbers strategy. By choosing islands the surrounding water offers them protection from disturbance by humans, other wildlife and from predation.

Cattle Egret, feeding among cows. Cattle Egret, feeding among cows. (Image: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images) During the day, the birds disperse to the wider tidal parts of the estuary mudflats and salt marshes managed by the RSPB at Parkgate, Burton, and beyond, even as far as the mouth of the estuary and along the North Wirral foreshore. Some will stay on Burton Mere Wetlands itself, content in hunting in the pools and lagoons there.

The white figures appear through the twilight, followed by their noisy chatter and bickering as they jostle for position amid the branches. Combined with carrion crow, rook and jackdaw roost, it creates a spectacle for the senses.

Egrets are broadly fish eaters but will also eat amphibians and crustaceans, much like our native Grey Heron and will use similar hunting techniques. They are often seen standing silently on the edges of water, eyeing their prey surreptitiously through it and then spearing them with a swift, smooth and agile action. They are also known for stirring up the muddy bottoms of water bodies, disturbing the sediment and releasing small fish and aquatic insects. Cattle Egrets however, as their name suggests are often found on dry land in the company of livestock such as cows, following them around and gobbling up any invertebrates flushed out of vegetation or turned over in the soil from the hooves of the animals.

When Little Egrets were first recorded nesting in the UK in 1996 at Brownsea Island in Dorset nobody expected what a success story they would become. They began to move northwards, finding many suitable wetland habitats to their liking. By 2001, there were 100 breeding pairs in the UK, and slowly more birds from the continent began to join them to spend the winter here. It’s now estimated more than 24,000 Little Egrets spend the winter in the UK.

The fashion for egret feathers in hats in the late 1800s and early 1900s devastated the bird population and led to the formation of the (Royal) Society for the Protection of Birds in 1889 and the Plumage Act of 1921.  (Image: RSPB Images) Egrets are not entirely new to the UK; they are recolonisers. There’s evidence to suggest their presence now is a reclamation of where they once were during Medieval times when their wetland habitats would have been far more extensive. They have been noted in historical manuscripts as being birds of the wealthy dinner table and it’s thought that constant hunting for food and sport led to total extinction throughout the UK.

Restoration and conservation of wetlands both on the continent and in the UK has undoubtedly been a significant factor in their return and more lost species could follow if we truly commit to landscape-scale restoration of our lost wetlands.

Alongside birds such as Great-crested Grebes, Little Egret feathers were one of the plumes desired by many Edwardian and Victorian ladies in the late 1800s and early 1900s to adorn their hats. They became the bird that initiated Emily Williamson, Etta Lemon and Eliza Phillips and their compatriots to fight so heroically for the Plumage Act (granted in 1921) and form the (Royal) Society for the Protection of Birds (in 1889). The feather trade led to the devastation of the Little Egret population on the continent, with egret plumes being worth more than gold in the early 1900s.Thanks to the tenacity and passion of this group of women the passing of the Plumage (Prohibition) Act in 1921 enabled the population to bounce back.

It’s not only egrets that are making a beeline for the UK. Spoonbills – another bird in the heron family are also frequently seen at the reserve and they too attempted to breed in 2019. They are a reliable summer visitor on the Dee Estuary from May onwards and building up in number with juvenile birds and post-breeding adults through to September. While they do not spend the winter at Burton Mere Wetlands there have been breeding successes in the UK in the recent past.

Visiting the reserve just before dusk, grabbing a hot drink, and finding a quiet spot in the garden or in front of the café gives the best views of the egrets as they come into land. As the light starts to fade the first birds appear, gliding in from the estuary or the wet grasslands at Burton.The numbers gradually build and before long the skies are filled with long-legged elegant white birds drifting in to rest for the evening in the quiet, secluded and safe space of RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands.

To find out more about Burton Mere Wetlands please see rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/dee-estuary-burton-mere-wetlands

To find out more about the RSPB or become a member: rspb.org.uk

 INFO

Egrets are a members of the heron family and behave in similar ways to our native Grey Heron. The difference is the three egret species are all white. Here's how you tell which is which.

• Great White Egrets are the largest of the three, very much a similar size to a Grey Heron with a slightly longer and sleeker neck. In the breeding season, their bill is dark, however this becomes bright yellow throughout the autumn and winter.

• Cattle Egrets are the smallest, rather compact and squat in appearance, with a much shorter neck. We rarely see their ochre-dipped breeding plumage and red bill in the UK, as any birds are mainly here in the autumn and winter outside of the breeding season. This may be changing though as they have nested at Burton Mere Wetlands twice in recent years – in 2017 becoming the most northerly pair of breeding Cattle Egrets ever recorded anywhere in the world.

• Little Egrets are the middle ground, they are noticeably smaller than the Great White Egret and more elegant than the Cattle Egret. It can sometimes be difficult to compare when they are not next to one another. They have a dark bill, but their defining feature is their huge yellow feet.