Another big white bird we may well be seeing more of in the future is the Spoonbill. There have only been a couple of records in the parish so far but in the last decade, they have re-established themselves as a breeding species in the UK having become extinct in the 17th century. Their breeding range is expanding rapidly and they are more likely to turn up more widely in the south-east now. It is a long-legged bird but hasn’t got as long a neck as the Great White Egret. It feeds by sweeping its long, spoon like bill in the water in a very active way. The bill of an adult is black with a bright yellow patch at the end while the juvenile has a pink bill.