Whilst cycling along Sustrans route 11, Tony Shaw tells us he saw two Egrets.

Sustrans is the sustainable transport charity formed in 1983 from the 1977 Cyclebag network. Sustrans national cycle route 11 connects Harlow in Essex with Kings Lynne in Norfolk, passing Little Thetford towards Ely along the east bank of the River Great Ouse. Co-incidentally, the 50 km route from Cambridge to Ely, passing Little Thetford, is the same route said to have been used by World War II code breaker Alan Turing, whilst a fellow at King’s College, Cambridge. This part of the route is commemorated to this day as the Turing Trail relay.

Little Egret. Photo CCA-SA 3.0 Birdman1

The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a member of the heron (Ardeidae) family new to the United Kingdom since 1989. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) classifies the Little Egret on its amber list noting that it is a rare breeding species. World-wide, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists its conservation status as of least concern. These fish eating birds are more generally found along the south and east coast of England although increasingly they are moving inland. These birds can be found all year round although more can be seen during autumn and winter.

Have you seen any rare or unusual wild-life in Little Thetford? Tell us about it and send us a picture if you can.