Asking a favor from my blog followers.
1/6400, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Five days ago the Snowy Egrets at Bear River MBR were pretty edgy as they were feeding in small groups along this canal. I could feel the tension whenever two of them started to get a little too close to each other because I knew that a confrontation of some sort was likely to occur. It might be anything from a quick threat posture from one or both birds to a truly nasty fight. But whatever happened, it always happened incredibly fast so I had to be ready for it.
Usually something went wrong – birds turned away from me, body parts clipped, faces in shade, poor exposures, the photographer was too slow on the trigger – you know the drill. For this shot, one of the protagonists was running away and had its face turned away from me but when I cropped in and isolated this bird I liked what I saw. It shows an obviously upset egret in a dramatic pose, the bird is sharp, I didn’t clip any body parts and I got a good exposure on those very difficult whites.
I need to ask a favor from my readers. Some of you had difficulties with yesterday’s post. I got feedback from a half-dozen blog followers saying they either didn’t get their subscription email from WordPress with the link to the post, or if they got it it didn’t work, or it arrived but it was very late in the day, or it would work on a desktop but not a portable device, or they could load my post but couldn’t comment. Readers using the link to the post on social media didn’t seem to have any problems.
I’ve done what I could on my end to fix the problem but at this point I don’t know if it’s really fixed.
So for today’s post, if you have any problems at all I’d appreciate knowing about it. You can let me know in a comment or use the “Contact Me” link at the top of my blog.
Thanks in advance.
Ron
Note: Some readers may take exception to me referring to the egret as “angry” in my title because they think that’s being inappropriately anthropomorphic. It’s a complicated subject that some folks get pretty worked up about but suffice it to say, I don’t think so. If you saw what I saw, you probably wouldn’t either.
No problem with comment ability or otherwise today. Yesterday’s blog I had to cut & pate from Notes in order to comment.
I am glad I was not receiving this guy’s ire.
Thanks for your feedback, Sandie.
Thanks for the photo of the Egret. And, yes I believe words describing emotion are just fine and true! No problem with your blog.
Thank you, Sheila.
I love how you captured this angry egret! I wouldn’t want that bird coming after me with that look in it’s eye!
There were no issues for me, yesterday or today, in receiving your post at its normal early morning time here in southeastern PA.
Good. Thanks, Linda.
OF COURSE other animals feel emotions. A whole range of them. And I feel a whole range of them when I hear anyone suggest they don’t. Starting with gobsmackedness at their ignorance.
No problems from here today – for which I am very, very grateful.
So am I, EC.
No problem (ever) getting your blog via email/laptop, even yesterday. (Central WA).
Your recent egret posts are so interesting. I used to see big groups of egrets on the marshes outside Trenton,NJ as my train rushed towards New York City. There was never any hint of conflict in those brief sightings of those tall white birds, and I’d start my workday with the peace those birds symbolized. Yet here you are showing them trying to drown each other or running away looking very “angry”. So I’m having to adjust my mental image of these birds to “Egrets may NOT equal Peace”. I’m not sure I’m “happy” about that! But that’s what’s so great about your blog – it challenges our assumptions! (Love Carel’s comment, too!)
Thanks, Carolyn. When it comes to animals, including but not limited to birds, Carel is one of the most knowledgeable people I’m aware of. He’s a superb artist to top it off.
Coming to this late today but no problems of any kind today. Yesterday, the email notice did’t come in until late afternoon and when I went directly to your site it took a very long time to load. But everything seems normal today.
I take issue with many who want to shout anthropomorphism. Yes, there are times that we might attribute human feeling to other animals inappropriately. But, it is very clear, and well supported by research, that animals do have emotions and feelings. And why not? After all, we are just an animal too. Some people have such a superior attitude that they can’t believe we share anything in common with the rest of the animal kingdom. Why would a bird (or any other animal) fight with another if some emotion were not involved? Let me give another bird example. In one study of Double-crested Cormorants, observers watched two birds fighting with each other and more than once. Both had nests in the same colony. Bird A was nesting on the far side of the colony from bird B. Cormorants are known to steal nest material from an immediate neighbor when they leave to feed but they seldom go farther than they can easily reach from their own nest. At one point, bird A left its nest to go find food. Bird B was seen to then leave its nest, fly to nest A at the far end of the colony (remember, A and B often fought away from their nests). It then ripped apart bird A’s nest, then returned to its own nest. It didn’t steal any nesting material, it simply trashed the bird it fought with while it was away. It didn’t touch any other nest, just that of its rival. Does this not involve some kind of emotion? It was certainly strong dissatisfaction directed only at one other individual.
Loved your cormorant example, Dan. Enough to read it twice.
No problem yesterday or today, on my Android, laptop or chromebook.
Good!
Great shot Ron – love the whites 🙂
Yes had trouble accessing your blog yesterday. The full link to your blog never processed. The browser just stayed at “about: blank” and didn’t switch to your website for some reason. I use a Mac with google as my browser. Was able to see the blog from my iphone using Chrome.
Today the “about: blank” came up for a second on my Mac then switched to your blog site address.
https://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2022/09/14/an-angry-snowy-egret/
Weird! I have no idea what more to do on my end so I hope WordPress figures it out. Thanks, Kathleen.
Sorry – brain not quite kicked in. Meant to say Google Chrome did not work on my Mac – but Safari on my iPhone did work.
OK, thanks. That helps.
No problems here, Ron. In Michigan with only 7 gigs for the internet. (iPad only). Gave me a chance to say how much I enjoyed your wonderful shot of that S E. In my thinking I sometimes give words to your birds, in this case “ I’m gonna kick your a**!!. I so admire your comments and those of your online friends.
Angela
I appreciate the kindness of your comment, Angela. Also your feedback on blog issues.
He looks pretty pissed off to me! I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that beak. I’m enjoying this shot because I usually only see the more serene Snowy Egret poses — guess the SoCal ones are more chill. 😉 😎
I did have trouble getting into your blog from both the email and going directly to your website earlier this morning, but was able to go from the email just now.
Geeze Marty, I sure wish I knew what’s going on…
Ron I receive your blog and photos emailed every day on my laptop. You are marked as a safe sender to me. The notice comes thru early every morning to me. Now today I have to key in my information again, and a notice that if I use my email address, fb will track me.No problem with that!
Good to know, Trudy.
Anyone who doesn’t believe animals have feelings isn’t really paying attention imho.
Take the squirrel who stole the neighbor kid’s teddy bear and then got it stuck in the fork of a tree branch so it was hanging in the trees in my back yard for several months before it became waterlogged and finally fell….
Or read the book about the chicken who liked to sneak up and “goose” the cat, just to see him jump and would run away giggling to herself….
Or about the man who cared so lovingly for the elephants on his sanctuary, that when the man passed away the elephants came from miles around and formed a processional in front of his house to pay their last respects….
Or look at a dog in a shelter whose family has just given him up because he’s “too old” and how he sits in the corner with pain and fear in his eyes… hunched over, dejected, trying to hide.
Or that same dog, how when you bring him home, he’s still dejected and afraid, but wants to trust you… And then when he does, won’t leave your side…. even for a minute, and if you leave him, say to check the mail, he begins to howl until he sees you again….
Or the cat that brings you “presents” of dead things that it’s killed for you (which is always lovely…. not!!!)
Or how the tiger recognizes the man who saved him and whenever the man visits, the tiger gives him a huge hug and knocks him to the ground and covers him in kisses (licks)…
You couldn’t convince me that animals DON’T have feelings if you tried….
Some interesting examples, Kari.
A real beauty, with golden slippers! I love the energy of this photo, Ron.
I have not been getting your email alerts for years. I have tried everything – reentering my email address, rebooting my laptop, even rebooting my router, but nothing works. I just have your webpage earmarked and access everyday that way. Don’t know if this helps with your recent problems, though…
Cathryn
Well, I’m glad you have a way to access my blog that works for you, Cathryn. I have no idea why the more traditional method didn’t work.
No problem here. I wonder if it was linked to the new Iphone IOS update that went out a couple days ago and bugs in it caused problems with some iphone users who downloaded it. Or maybe the angry egret? 😎
“I wonder if it was linked to the new Iphone IOS update”
Kent, that’s an interesting possibility that I hadn’t thought of.
This is a test
There is scientific evidence and then there’s common sense. The latter tells me this is anger. Facial expression, body language, vocalization are cues that evolution has enabled us to recognize various interspecies behaviors. I could never understand why there has historically been so much controversy about emotions in animals. Perhaps it’s a defense mechanism to justify our subjugation of species, including our own.
“Perhaps it’s a defense mechanism”
Sadly, that sure could be part of it, Lyle.
Looks “P.O.d ” to ME ! Especially from the feathers on his head standing straight up, and his open, probably hissing, beak ! No reception problem
for me in the last several days, in the morning at least– several times
when I tried to revisit later in the day, nothing loaded…..last week, there was one day when I didn’t receive even the e-mail notification. But all has seemed OK in the last few days.
I hope “OK” continues for you, Kris.
No problem with your posts (today and yesterday) from this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
And I don´t care being anthropomorphic when I see such behaviors.
Jorge, for some (even those across the pond) it worked fine but not for others. Frustrating.
Super photo Ron. Love the Snowy Egrets and interestingly I have never witnessed aggressive behavior among them. I will be paying more attention now when I am observing them.
No problem here logging on yesterday, but I did wonder why so few people
logged on and commented. Now I know why. Hope you are able to get it fixed.
Thanks Everett. I think it’s working better today than it did yesterday but apparently there’s still a glitch in there somewhere.
no problem getting here from the email.
on the blog from email
Thanks, Jeremy.
I think the main, problematic anthropomorphism fallacy is when you treat non-Human animals as a sub-set of Humans. As long as you’re treating Humans as a sub-set of animals, you’re starting off on much firmer logical ground, although you still may be wrong. Personally, I think it’s fully appropriate to use the word “anger” to describe a wide range of behavior motivators in the animal kingdom, including this one.
Well said (as usual), Carel. I agree.
You, your blog, your photography and your intellect are very impressive! I never comment because many others do- and express their appreciation of your art. But in this post you asked for comments so that gave me an excuse to say Thank You for your dedication and your purpose!
Thanks very much, Molly. But you never need an excuse… 🙂
“Angry” certainly defines what I see! Nice capture, Ron. Since I’m using a desk top I had no issues. Came through on my cell BUT it’s off the wi-fi on my computer here so probably not much help. Hopefully whatever was going on is “fixed”.
So far I think it’s actually fixed, Judy. Whether it was something I did in my end (cleared my cache) or something WordPress did, I don’t know.
If it’s not anger I don’t know what you would call it. Like the comparison of all all behaviors between species, there may be differences, but some things are just basic – like getting pissed-off.
Great photo. Love the raised hackles.
I always view and comment using my laptop. Have had issues in the past, but none yesterday or as of late.
Michael, this isn’t really a problem but just so you know. When you comment your comment email is usually delayed, if I get it at all. It only seems to happen with you. That’s why I sometimes reply to your comment later than I do to comments from other folks.
It happened again today. I still don’t have your comment email.
Weird.
Whatever the problem was yesterday that made my laptop unable to access the blog while my desktop had no problem is gone today. Still a mystery.
Very good to know. Thanks for that feedback, Sue.