The Cattle Egrets

The cattle egrets known to travel far
And you always see them near where livestock are
Insects, beetles, toadlets and such they eat
That fly or hop clear of big trampling feet.

The cattle egrtets whiter than the snow
Associate with cattle everywhere they go
They keep insects and harmful slugs at bay
And in so doing help farmer no small way.

As members of the heron family
They build their nests on higher bush or tree
On lake or river, sometimes estuary
On nest of sticks pale blue eggs often three.

Oft seen them in Narre Warren in Wintertime
These cattle egrets favourite birds of mine
In paddocks with the herds they spend their days
Eating insects flushed by cattle as they graze.

The cattle egrets that you see today
Tomorrow may be many miles away
Nomadic birds their journeys take them far
But you'll always see them near where cattle are.