If you seen a colour ringed Great White Egret, the chances are it is one of the Levels birds, please email Alison with the details: Alison.Morgan@rspb.org.uk
Last year's report can be read here.
The history of the four birds seen recently at CVL is as follows:
1. ACV (m). This is a well-travelled 2 year old bird, ringed in the nest at Westhay on 9.5.23 (the ringing was filmed by SWT here), reported from:
Avon Valley N of Christchurch, Dorset | 9.9.23 |
RSPB Portmore Lough, N Ireland | 26.1.24 |
Chew Valley Lake | 9.4.24 |
Bubwith Ings, Derwent Valley, E Yorks | 11.5.24 |
North Duffield Carrs, Derwent Valley, N Yorks | 11.5.24 |
Chew Valley Lake | 7.6.24 |
Chew Valley Lake Herriots | 24.10.25 |
Chew Valley Lake Herriots | 27.10.25 |
2. AJR (u). This bird was ringed in the nest at Westhay on 22.4.25 (same nest location) and it has been reported from:
Cheddar Reservoir | 6.10.25 |
Westhay Tower Hide | 13.10.25 |
Cheddar Reservoir | 14.10.25 |
CVL Herriots | 27-28.10.25 |
3. AJL (m). This bird was ringed in the nest on Shapwick Heath on 18.4.25, and has been reported from:
Pitsford Reservoir, Northants | 13.7.25 |
CVL Herriots | 7-9.10.25 |
CVL Herriots | 23.10.25 |
CVL Herriots | 27-28.10.25 |
4. AHH (f). This bird was ringed in the nest on Ham Wall on 9.5.25, and has been reported from:
Chipping Sodbury Golf Course, S Gloucs | 6.7.25 |
CVL Herriots | 24-27.10.25 |
The birds now at CVL probably represent a small sample of the 2025 cohort which may be there – we ringed 14 out of 73 juveniles this year, 3 of which are at CVL – ie 21% of those ringed. Scale that up and it suggests that about 15, a quarter of the 62+ birds recently seen at CVL, may be this year’s juveniles from the Avalon Marshes, with an unknown number of birds like ACV fledged in previous years. Presumably this is due to the exceptionally good feeding opportunities created by the low water levels.
It’s particularly interesting because in 2016 (the first year we ringed) all the ringed birds stayed within Somerset, but since then most have left and only a few have subsequently returned. ACV is one of these. And AJL and AHH are the first birds, as far as we know, to have travelled north after fledging only to return within a few weeks. We would expect ACV to breed next year, so it will be interesting to see if it hangs around.
