A photo I've taken quite a while ago in a swampy area, besides a beautiful "bubbly, babbling brook".

These birds move very slowly along the stream picking up whatever looks tasty to them. I've rarely seen them before. They're bigger than an average chicken and almost completely pristine white. Here's the best shot selected from over a dozen at maximum zoom. Name?

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/White-birds-duo-1-bb.jpg" border=1>

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Where?

Well, umm, err...
actually it's the drainage canal in Sha Po Village and the bubbling comes from soap bubbles from showers.

But it looks really pretty when all grown over by the wetland vegetation (which they clear away every few weeks).
A bit of poetic license should be permitted in a Flora & Fauna forum, no?

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You mean the cess pit next to the old Scorpio? I thought the water looked a familiar shade (black).

It's a cattle egret.

Cattle? What is it doing in Yung Shue Wan?

Zep, do you know why it's called a Cattle Egret?

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They pick ticks off buffalo. Every year they visit Yung Shue Long valley. Their relatives the little egrets hang around the boats and rocks in the bay.

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Buffaloes in Yung Shue Wan? This isn't Lantau!

Maybe the Cattle Egrets pick ticks off stray dogs or some of the more well-seasoned, "ripe" residents?
<HR>
Little egrets? You mean these guys?

<img src="http://www.Compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets-boat.jpg" border=1>

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There used to be a buffalo on Lamma in a field on the way to Hung Shin yeh. Yes those egrets and the smaller grey ones.

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There was one living near the youth hostel. Occasionally it wandered closer (maybe it was led) and grazed on the old fields below the main police station on the way to the beach. But I haven't seen it for a while.

FYI - If you go over to Sok Ku Wan, on a good day you can see about 50 of the little egrets hanging around the mud flats when the tide is out

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A bit more information - Cattle egrets are found all over the world - I remember seeing them in Africa and also southern Europe. They do sit on cattle and other animals and eat the ticks, as this picture shows:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/ce2-bb.jpg" border=1>

but they eat other animal stuff as well so they can survive without cattle. They sometimes roost at the tops of trees, too, especially in early summer. I've seen them around the swampy area between Tai Ping and Pak Kok

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/ce4-bb.jpg" border=1>
<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/ce5-bb.jpg" border=1>

The honey brown colour is only on birds in breeding plumage; otherwise they are all white:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/ce3-bb.jpg" border=1>
<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/CE1-bb.jpg" border=1>

So if they are in their all-white phase, how do you tell them from the common little egrets which are always around? The little egret has a longer thinner black bill, while the cattle egret's is shorter and stubbier and yellow in colour. Also the little egret has bright yellow feet:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/le1-bb.jpg" border=1>
<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/le2-bb.jpg" border=1>

The other small heron seen around Yung Shue Wan is the black-crowned night heron, which has a distinctive pattern of grey and black:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/bcnh1-bb.jpg" border=1>
<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/31/Egrets/bcnh2-bb.jpg" border=1>

There's certainly enough bullsh*t on Lamma to feed all the egrets in the world.

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Well..er...., not really "under" it, but working with it. I think that's what I mean.

Sorry.

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"Under New Management" - the management takes no responsibility for any postings prior to 23/08/04
Well..er...., not really "under" it, but working with it. I think that's what I mean.

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