It’s unusual for me to have an opportunity with a Great Egret (it’s been 3 1/2 years since I’ve posted photos of one to my blog) and even more unusual for me to catch one in action.
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
So yesterday morning I was pretty stoked to find this one near Glover’s Pond at Farmington. It may look like ‘he’ is landing after an extended flight but that’s not the case. He’d been fishing from the mound of dead phrags at lower right when he decided he wanted to change fishing spots. So he twisted on his feet as he turned around and used his wings to move to the new, more open spot at the bottom center of the frame.
I’m pretty happy with this photo and a few others I got. I especially like this one because of the position of his head and neck relative to his wings, which really causes his snaky S-shaped neck and head to stand out.
Here’s a vertical composition of the same image if you prefer. It makes the egret larger in the frame but includes less habitat.
If you’re mostly unfamiliar with Great Egrets, they’re quite large birds – almost 2 1/2 times larger (by weight) than the more common Snowy Egret (1.9 lb. vs. 13 oz.). Seeing one of each species standing next to each other is pretty revealing.
I’ve seen it but I’ve yet to get the photo.
Ron
What a beautiful bird. Thanks for the pictures.
And thanks for the nice comment, Trudy.
Wonderful photos, good to see them back. Everything seems later this year. I still have spotted towhees and two Steller’s jays in the yard. I guess too much snow still north.
Thanks, April. I agree, many do seem late.
Yep – grace and beauty! Love these birds!
Agreed, Kathleen.
Grace and beauty personified … er, egretified (?). Gorgeous image, Ron—both versions.
Thanks, Chris. Glad you like them both. So do I.
For me, this is the egret we see commonly, mostly in the winter. I have to travel east of the Cascades to see Snowy Egrets. Here in the valley I have only seen a Snowy Egret twice in over 55 years of birding. Great Egrets are another matter. I know a field west of town where each winter, it is not uncommon to see over 100 Great Egrets standing on the ground or in the nearby trees along a stream. They will be found along most ponds and waterways. I once had a woman call to tell me she had just seen a flock of over 10 albino herons. I explained about them and how they differed from Great Blue Herons. She told me, in very rude language, that egrets are only in mythology and that I had to be very stupid if I believed they were real and she would never call me about birds again. Fortunately, she did not ever call again.
You can’t cure stupidity.
“and she would never call me about birds again.”
Count your blessings, Dan!
For a change I cannot decide which crop I like best. They are both stunning – and look like completely different photos.
You’re like me, EC. I think both compositions have their charm.
Gosh. Beautiful
Thanks, Kent.
Wonderful capture, Ron! 🙂 Beautiful bird…….is the tip of the beak black or is that just from it’s rooting for food?
Good eye, Judy. I don’t believe a black or dark bill-tip is ‘normal’ in this species. Maybe it’s mud?
Grace and beauty combine to perform an exquisitely delicate ballet amongst an audience of cattails.
Neat description, Lyle.
Wow! I love these prehistoric looking birds and this is a magnificent photo of one! We see them frequently here in Columbus Ohio!
Beth, a good friend of mine agrees with you about “prehistoric”. Here’s what he said about this photo on Facebook: ” I sometimes imagine that this looks something like the theropods of the late Cretaceous.”
The second ( vertical ) shot is a such a knockout….., that bit of wing-shadow across the brightly-lit neck accentuates that elegant curve of neck and anchors the eye in the “keyhole” shape between neck and wing– a perfect focal point to make the shining bird really SING….. What a dynamic shot—What beauty with
which to start our day !
Kris, when you describe ‘my’ birds like that I could read your descriptions all day.
Love those stunning birds!! and you captured all its grace and beauty 🙂
Thanks, Terri.