The Great White

Today, I thought I would take a look around Bowthorpe for the Great White Egret and while I'm at it I would use my birdwatching permit and pop into nearby Bawburgh Fisheries and see if there would be a Goosander or a Smew or a Slavonian Grebe hiding on one of the gravel pits.
I checked Bowthorpe Marsh / West Earlham Marsh first but no sign of the Egret. I had better luck at Bawburgh Fisheries though,  a quick scan of the first gravel pit and I could see the Egret on the very far side.

Great White Egret, Bawburgh Fisheries, Colney, Norwich

I assume this is a returning bird. I recall looking for a Great White Egret around Bawbrugh itself in February 2013, photographing one at Bowthorpe in February 2015 and one wintering again in 2015/2016. Most certainly the same bird involved all along.

Great White Egret, West Earlham Marsh - February 2015

With a Pike at Bowthorpe Marsh - March 2016

Sadly though no Smew or Goosander or anything else of note. Small numbers of Gadwall, Tufties, Coot and several Great Crested Grebe. A Kingfisher did a quick fly-by as I scoped the Egret.
From there I decided to drive down to Kessingland in Suffolk to check out the wintering Pallas's Warbler at the sewage works. I found the spot but not the bird. All I could conjure up there was a Goldcrest and two nominate race Chiffers.