EGRETS AND THE FORMING OF THE RSPB

BY ALICE MCDOUGALL (RSPB Volunteer)

Against a moody grey sky, or the pale tan reeds of RSPB Pagham Harbour, the pure white egret is a magical sight. You are likely to see Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and if you’re lucky, you might also see the magnificent Great White Egret.

The Little Egret with its black beak, black legs and somewhat comical yellow feet may seem rather gentle and unassertive compared to the more raucous seabirds of the area. During breeding season, it displays elegant long white plumes on its nape and back.

Little Egrets could be confused with another very recent resident – the Cattle Egret, which has been breeding at Pagham Harbour since 2020. These stockier birds are likely to be seen pecking around cattle for insects to feed upon. During breeding season the bill turns yellow and the plumage takes on an orangey tan colour on the crest, breast and back.

If you spot the much larger Great White Egret at RSPB Pagham Harbour or Medmerry it is likely to be a visitor from Europe, or on its way to or from a breeding site in the UK – they’ve been breeding in this country since 2012 – perhaps one day they’ll be breeding here too.

What is the connection between egrets and the forming of the RSPB? From 1870 – 1920, the fashion for feathers in ladies’ hats was booming, fuelling what became one of the most lucrative trades in the world. It was an industry which saw the decimation of millions of birds both at home and abroad.

From this emerged three key women: Eliza Phillips, Etta Lemon and Emily Williamson – all passionate about the lives of birds and conservation. After initially starting local groups to challenge this barbaric trade, they later joined forced to form the Society for the Protection of Birds (SPB) in 1889.

In 1890 they produced their first leaflet: ‘Destruction of Ornamental Plumaged Birds’, which focused on the annihilation of the egret population. This leaflet was the first of many campaigns denouncing the hunting of birds and the use of feathers in fashion. In 1904 the SPB received the charter from Edward VII and became the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as we know it today.

Why not join us on one of our guided walks this month to see if you can see some egrets? Find out more by visiting our website https://events.rspb.org.uk/paghamharbour or call 01243 641508.

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