Great Egret: The striking bird which has been slowly making its way into Yorkshire

Little egrets first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in the UK in 1989 and first bred on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset in 1996.

Since then they have become widespread across the British Isles and now regularly nest on the Fairburn Ings reserve near Castleford. There are also post breeding flocks of 100 plus on the Humber estuary.

Great egrets first bred in the UK on the Somerset Levels in 2012 and since then have expanded mainly across south east England and East Anglia.

They are larger than little egrets with more snake-like kinky necks and also have all black legs and feet instead of the little egret's black legs and yellow feet.

The little egret's colonisation of the UK began with post-breeding arrivals of juvenile birds from France and it looks as if the same thing is happening with great egrets, probably coming from the Netherlands where they first nested in 1978.

A third member of the family, the cattle egret, is also making its mark in the UK.

A pair was first reported to have bred here in 2008 with two pairs in Somerset and more breeding attempts have followed since then and individuals have been reported from as far north as the Scottish mainland.

Up to 13 cattle egrets have been present for months on and around the Fairburn Ings reserve near and two pairs are reported to have bred there this year – a first for Yorkshire. Others have been reported elsewhere in the county.