Great egrets had a good 2015

This is a great egret video from Cyprus.

Translated from the Dutch SOVON ornithologists:

November 30, 2015

Record number of nesting great egrets in 2015

In 1978, the great egret nested for the first time with certainty in the Netherlands with four fledglings in the Oostvaardersplassen. Since 1990, it is an annually breeding species, with since 2000 a rapidly growing population.

Until 2013, the spread was mostly limited to the Oostvaardersplassen in Flevoland province (maximum 195 nests in 2013) in addition to a small colony in the Wieden in Overijssel (since 2003, up to 8 in 2004). From 2013 on, three colonies have been added where now some dozens of breeding pairs nest.

In 2015, there were at least 224 great egret nests in the Netherlands: a record number. 171 in the Oostvaardersplassen, two in the Wieden. Much of the growth was in the new colony in the Makkumer Noardwaard in Friesland: 2013, first year, two nests; 2014 10 nests; 2015 35 nests.

There were also nests in the Lepelaarplassen and the Volkerakmeer.

And a few nests in grey heron colonies in the Weerribben and Olst.