Great White Egret - 2006 onwards

 Egretta alba - Vagrant, but now increasingly regular visitor.

2006 - One Strumble Hd 4 Sept (GHR, RR, RS,RW). Third Pembrokeshire record.

2008 - A single bird was seen at Mullock on 17 Oct, this was the 4th record for the county (PR & RR). Accepted WRP

2011 - The only accepted record was of an individual at Bosherston on 30th Nov (CH),

2012 - Two records of single birds flying through the county, the first at Ramsey on 15th May (GM – circulating WRP), the other flew past Fishguard Fort & up the Gwaun Valley on 4th Sept (SEB - accepted by WRP).

2013 - Although now breeding not that far away in the UK & reported widely from other parts of Wales still a very difficult bird to catch up with in the county. A single at Marloes Mere on 6th June (BS) & another flew over Fishguard on 30th Oct (AR). Both Accepted WRP. One on the Cleddau on 24th Nov still circulating WRP  (T. Lewis, I. Martin).

2014 - A single bird at Bosherston on 30th March (CH) photo opposite. Another was seen on St. David’s Airfield on 21st Apr (BD) and finally a third bird at Castlemartin Corse on 1st Nov (EL). All accepted by WRP

2015 - An immature observed flying over Skomer on 15th May (EMS) was the first record for the island, photo below

2016 - Two birds reported at Radford Farm Milton on 31st Oct, a single recorded at different areas of the Teifi from 16th to 25th July at least & another on the Teifi Marshes on 24th Nov and one over Skomer on 14th Sept

2017 - All records were of singles at Mullock Bridge on 21st Jan, Millin Pill on 26th May and at Sealyham on 14th Nov, except for two at Trefeiddan Marsh on 9th Oct. 

2018 - Singles: Goodwick Moor 30th Jan, Teifi Estuary 4th Feb, Penally 9th Feb, New Hedges 27th Feb, St. David’s 27th Apr, Landshipping 19th Oct, Picton Point and at Teifi Marshes 5th Dec. Three over Pencarnan, St. David’s and Martin’s Haven on 30th Sept, four passed over Brynberian on 21st Oct (having been seen previously passing Aberaeron, Ceredigion).

Records extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports

Great Egret - accepted records 1990-2005

Egretta alba

British Birds Rarities Committee

2003 Pembrokeshire Newport, 5th August, colour-ringed (P.K.Grennard); presumed same bird as Carmarthenshire.

Great White Egret was dropped from the BBRC list in 2005, and subsequent records are evaluated by the Welsh Rarities Panel.

Great Egret - 1994

Vagrant

One was seen near St David's on 12 April 1988 (I.G. Carter, M. Cheker, J. Colman), part of a general increase of records of this heron in Britain since it colonised the Netherlands in the early 1970s.