Thanks Mikey, I knew when I typed it it was wrong!
Not my photo.. just a reminder/info about this interesting crittur.. 
we’ve seen them in our area a few times over the years 
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We have a few here but so elusive!
I’m envious of all your owl sightings. We hear a lot of chouettes hulotte (tawny owls) in our woods but have never seen one despite MANY hours out there at all hours, even slug hunting by headlamp.
Oh you’ve made me chuckle 
At one time I used to call my evening outings “slug and snail patrol” as there were so many of these little darlings. I used to chuck most of the snails into my neighbour’s garden
Somebody got paid a lot of money to prove that that doesn’t work, snails at least are like homing pigeons, they make their way home, eventually.
they’ve a very long trek to make it back home to my garden and wouldn’t get past the patrols of hedgehogs and thrushes (and any other predators)
Aigrette garzette (Great egret)?
Take a look at the photos in this link. It shows the different birds (Egrets/. You might recognise the one you saw, possibly grande-egret (heron)
Carried around on their backs
Love it, and that is exactly what I read some time ago. Somebody got a substantial grant from a university to study this very creature. Got an idea it was simply putting a blob of fingernail paint on each shell before chucking it over the fence.
I do notice several empty snail shells on my terrace throughout most of the year.. discarded after some wild critter has enjoyed a snack (with or without garlic )
and, being a gentle soul, if I notice a couple of snails copulating, I leave 'em alone.
I avert my gaze, it is only polite. 
But, as a determined naturalist and non-gardener, I do not find slugs and snails a pest. More a fellow wild creature to be admired and, if they can run riot in my garden while it continues to grow at its own rapid pace, they obviously aren’t doing much damage. 
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Where I live is not really Brambling country, but my window cill sunflower seeds have attracted half a dozen or so of them in the last few days.
The window glass is one-way seeing so I can watch them close up just inches from my pressed-up nose without disturbing them.
Amazing feather patterns.
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How lovely! 
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I love watching snails and slugs….I find them incredibly pretty with their eyes and tentacles and mouth.
Try setting down an overripe peach or the lime and these creatures really do move fast and then all go back home to the same place in the night (I guess).
…Anyhows…the way I see it, if there are loads in the garden (or in my case, not a garden by rough old terraces), then the ecology is in balance and loads of food to go around for all.
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