Wellington City biodiversity

[Byrd]

I dropped by on my way to work this morning, around 7am - no birds of any kind on the College sports field or on the Basin reserve.

[AlfieB77]

I’m currently watching it on the sports field foraging with a pair of parries

[AlfieB77]

Sorry for bad photo, taken with an iPhone camera

[benackerley]

It has been confirmed a Cattle Egret.

[Michael Szabo]

I saw this adult Cattle Egret feeding on short mown grass on a sports field of Wellington College this morning shortly before 10am. The bird was viewable from the adjacent main road and seemed quite settled despite a tractor pulling a grass cutter nearby:
https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S139260849

Walking past the Basin Reserve shortly afterwards I saw a pair of Paradise Shelducks, so seems likely they are the same pair reported by Alfie at Wellington College with the Cattl4e Egret about 12.30pm.

[Byrd]

I saw an adult Cattle Egret feeding on short mown grass on a sports field of Wellington College this morning shortly before 10am. The bird was viewable from the adjacent main road and seemed quite settled despite a tractor pulling a grass cutter nearby.

By "the adjacent main road" do you mean Paterson Street, or the Commonwealth drive up to the College?

[Colin Miskelly]

I saw it from both (a short walk from my office). It flew from one corner of the field to the other, and so no guarantee which will give the best view.
Colin

[Byrd]

I finally saw the Cattle Egret this morning, around 9am (shortly before the rainstorm started!), at the very far end of the field when viewed from the Commonwealth drive up to the College. I didn't have a camera with me so didn't try to get any closer to the bird. It didn't seem bothered by a guy kicking a ball around nearby though.

[Michael Szabo]

Duncan Watson reports via Facebook that the Cattle Egret is in McAlister Park in Berhampore with a big flock of seagulls now.

[Michael Szabo]

Duncan sent an update saying the egret plus 150 gulls have been flushed and flew off to the west but he doesn't know where to...