A Great Egret (Ardea alba). At least I think that's what it is, and not the almost identical Intermediate Egret.

The Great Egret stands 76cm to 1m tall, has a neck that's 1.5 times as long as its body and the colours bit around the eyes has a coloured skin and 'gape' pointing backwards under the eye.

Contrast with the Intermediate Egret which is 56 - 76cm tall, has a neck equal to body length, head rounder, bill shorter.

And what we are looking at here is a bird about 76cm tall, with a neck about 1.25 times its body length (depending how you measure it) with a bit of a coloured gape under the eye. Oh heck, it could be either of them. It might even be a third species, the Little Egret grown to gigantic proportions.

A Great Egret (Ardea alba). At least I think that's what it is, and not the almost identical Intermediate Egret.

The Great Egret stands 76cm to 1m tall, has a neck that's 1.5 times as long as its body and the colours bit around the eyes has a coloured skin and 'gape' pointing backwards under the eye.

Contrast with the Intermediate Egret which is 56 - 76cm tall, has a neck equal to body length, head rounder, bill shorter.

And what we are looking at here is a bird about 76cm tall, with a neck about 1.25 times its body length (depending how you measure it) with a bit of a coloured gape under the eye. Oh heck, it could be either of them. It might even be a third species, the Little Egret grown to gigantic proportions.