Armchair Tick: Medium Egret

I got a Lifer! It is what birders call an ‘armchair tick’. It brings my Aussie total to 769 birds (720 on mainland AUS). So a week or so ago I had a Lifer Day. I ate pistachios whilst writing at my desk. I had my Lifer Pie treat later and it was quite a treat for me.

Alan Stringer's very good recording shot of Medium Egret. He took it as we were both looking at this individual.

At this writing, I am over 5 weeks into dropping some of the weight I picked up when I was on steroids for a while for my ear/hearing issues (still unresolved). Anyway, I had ballooned up and I am back to the strict, “smaller portions, wiser choices, and more active" that works for me. At this point, I have lost just over 6.5 kilos (about 15 pounds). I have at least 10 more kilos to lose. 

Back to the Lifer armchair tick, on 26 September the IOC (International Ornithological Congress) split the Intermediate Egret into 3 separate species. The African egret is now called, Yellow-billed Egret, the Australian bird is Plumed Egret and the Asian bird (often seen on Cocos and Christmas Islands) remains Intermediate Egret as it is the nominate race (although as taxonomists are prone to do, it seems they are giving it the blah name of ‘Medium’ Egret. Sounds like a soft drink at Maccas, or a clothing size. Regardless, tick! 

I went searching through what I justifiably refer to as the 'nightmare of Apple Photos' for a possible shot. I have heaps of Intermediate (now called, Plumed) Egret photos from years past on the mainland, so it was not a bird I bothered with photographing in the islands. However, this past December, I was in the bird hide with my friend Alan Stringer on West Island, Cocos and we saw an Intermediate Egret and he did get a decent photo. I eventually found a distant shot that I had and as poor a photo as it is, one can tell that it is the egret. I don't think there are any records of Eastern Great Egret on Cocos so with that neck it has to be the Medium. Here it is...

My accidental recording shot. As I said, you can tell that it is the Medium Egret.

Proper Lifer Pie, a small but much appreciated treat

I will also include a few random pics of Cocos just because I love it there and I am to return. 

Green Jungle Fowl out by where my Medium Egret shot was taken. They common but they truly are beautiful birds. 

This is Home Island in the Cocos/Keeling Islands. I love it out there.

Sending love as I do ❤️