A new species for Feathered Photography.
It’s pretty unusual for me to see Cattle Egrets. I’ve rarely photographed them and until two days ago at Bear River MBR I’d never taken any photos of them that I like very much. As a result, these are the first Cattle Egret photos I’ve ever posted to Feathered Photography.
After 13 years of blogging about birds I figured it was about time.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I didn’t find this Cattle Egret until fairly late in the morning when I’d left the refuge and was nearly back to the freeway so the light was beginning to get a little harsh, especially for photographing a mostly white bird. ‘He’ was foraging in a flooded field with a Great Egret and a Great Blue Heron as nearby companions. He was mostly side lit so his head had to be at just the right angle to get light on his face.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I didn’t expect him to take off but he fooled me. I got two similar…
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
takeoff shots before he turned away from me in flight.
For many of my blog followers Cattle Egrets are common, even to the point of being pests. Not for me, so if they’re old hat to you I hope you’ll indulge my near-excitement at finally getting some fairly decent photos of one. Harsh light or not.
Ron
Ditto what Terri wrote.
Some time ago my son and I traveled to Yuma and the sun Salton sea We saw a field of cattle Igrets in breeding color. What a thrill for us. they were close to rail tracks
I’ve never even heard of a cattle egret. And that’s no bull.
Marcia, I got your comment on my phone while I was cooking my chiliburger for dinner. Made me smile from one big ear to the other. And that’s no bull.
Big egret fan here — any species. And you know I like the word, “plentiful.” 😂
I’ve been delighting in taking cell phone pictures and videos of our neighborhood Mallards. Got the female hanging out by my front door and one of the males coming within a few feet of me a couple days later. They may be common AND plentiful, but I’m having a blast with them coming so close!
I have neighborhood Mallards too, Marty. Sometimes I think they’re too trusting, given all the lowbrows out there that might (would) take advantage of the situation. To the detriment of the ducks.
Congratulations! Great images . They are a bird I have very few and very poor quality pictures. I would love to have a photo opportunity.
Thank you, April.
I thought I had commented but see I have not.
Of course you know they are NOT common here and I delighted in your photos. Those graceful, athletic wings… that soft and subtle crest….
EC, I wasn’t sure if you had them or not. They’re sure found in a lot of places in the world.
I saw so many wonderful opportunities to photograph them in Australian but I was not traveling with photographers and they did not want to stop for me to get photos. It about killed me!
I am so very sorry that the people you travelled with didn’t want to stop.
That is just 😠!
I love these photos! Egrets of any flavor are fine with me—great, little, snowy, cattle, I enjoy seeing them all. And after reading all the comments from others saying “we don’t have them here,” I’m ashamed to admit I just figured cattle egrets would be found wherever cattle are found (Montana, for example!). As I said yesterday, sometimes I can’t explain how my (lame) brain works….🙄
Chris, I think you’re aware of me extensive background in Montana and in all these years I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Cattle Egret in Big Sky Country. But just because I haven’t seen them doesn’t mean they’re not there. It’s a helluva big state.
I am aware, indeed …. since neither you nor Judy have seen them in MT, I suppose that’s a pretty good indicator …. But, birds have been adjusting their ranges in the last few years, maybe they’ll hear about all the beef and decide to head on up! 😬
Besides being treated to closeups of a bird I’ve only seen from a distance, I’ve learned a lot from all the comments and your narrative. Interesting discussion in BotW in the distribution section; it looks like they first appeared in Utah as recently as the ‘70’s. Makes one wonder how many other species have migrated naturally to this country since Europeans arrived.
Lyle, I read quite a bit of that distribution section in BotW. Talk about an opportunistic species.
One person’s “common” is another’s delight. I never tire of Cattle Egrets. (We don’t have them here in Western Washington, but I’ve seen them a lot in Florida.) I know they are non-native, but I love them still. Thanks, Ron.
“One person’s “common” is another’s delight.”
Exactly, Ellen. Maybe especially when it comes to birds.
Your photos never get old Ron! Thank you for sharing.
Good to know, Trish. Very good to know.
Lovely photos, Ron. I have never seen a Cattle Egret closely so the details in these photos are wonderful. And, I never researched it so I had no idea that it sported a buff crown. Beauty and grace captured through the lens of your camera. Thank you.
Much appreciated, Melanie.
excellent series Ron, thanks for posting.
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Those wings are magnificent!
Agreed. They really are.
I’ve never seen a cattle egret near where I live in Maryland, but I’ve seen quite a few in Florida. They’re definitely not old hat, though, they’re beautiful birds! And I wouldn’t call them pests; they eat pests. I especially like your last picture because of the lighting on his wing.
Thanks, Phil. I included that reference to Cattle Egrets possibly being pests as a result of reading this in Cornell’s Birds of the World:
“Some (Cattle Egret) heronries are considered nuisances when located near residential areas, resorts, and airports because of noise, odor, concern about possible health hazards (broken eggs, decomposing carcasses, flies and ticks, associated diseases), and potential danger to aircraft. Also, heronries may kill vegetation via accumulation of excrement on plants and substrata (soil and water).”
Very interesting to me Ron. I have never seen nor heard of a Cattle Egret. Never knew there was such a bird. Certainly does not have the beauty and grace of its Great and Snowy Egret cousins. Thanks for the new knowledge.
I learned about some new birds this morning too, Everett. Did you know that there’s a whole group of birds called “flowerpiercers”? I sure didn’t, not until I read my friend Jim DeWitt’s blog post about them this morning.
https://wickershamsconscience.wordpress.com/2023/06/11/evolution-is-amazing-flowerpiercers/?fbclid=IwAR3bDkq3Q-Rtu9QbaeKi7R8rclGI1nLeluwAUJtmvgzzjC7VGyaAx_U1BDk
Thanks Ron – something I had no knowledge of – very interesting
Thank you for your beautiful and inspirational photos! You have introduced me to a wonderful new aspect of photography. I used to be annoyed when birds I photographed flew off, now I look forward to it. I hope some day I can capture a decent photo. I have learned the importance of light and proper angle from you, and if I never ‘get it’ at least I have your stunning photography to enjoy!
What a nice comment, Janis. Thank you.
I’m often annoyed when birds DON’T fly off. 🙂 Keep plugging away at your takeoff and flight shots. They take practice.
Neat! Have heard of them but never seen one – map indicates they aren’t really in this area tho. The tawny back of the head that is part of the crest in an interesting contrast to the VERY white rest of the bird.
Judy, if you look closely at the first photo you’ll see just a hint of that “tawny” color where his lower neck and upper breast meet. In some birds in breeding plumage that color is even more pronounced.
Great Shots, Ron!
Thanks, Dick.
Now, thanks to your post today, I know the difference between a Great Egret
and a Cattle Egret, which I’ve never seen before. Can the latter also raise its
head feathers ? I think that “toasted marshmallow” coloring (of the head
feathers) is subtle and beautiful…….
“Can the latter also raise its head feathers ?”
Yes. And when they do it looks pretty neat. In the link, scroll down and click on the photo in the Photo Gallery where two of them have their necks wrapped around each other.
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/cattle-egret
Gorgeous shots, Ron. I would happily add them to my collection if I had the chance. The light may have been harsh but your exposure handles it really well. At times I think you have the luck of the Irish, until I remember that you are out almost every day, and well before dawn and drive long distances to find these so luck has very little to do with it. I would love to see a shot of all three of them in frame as Cheryl suggested to better picture the relationship so if you have one, please add my name to those who are on the “yes, please” list. Thanks for sharing another special moment.
Granny Pat, I don’t have any photos that include all three of them because the Cattle Egret was too far away from the other two.
However… I just went back to look at one of the shots that includes the Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret in the same frame. The Egret is slightly soft but that photo is growing on me. So you may be seeing it soon in another post.
The feathering detail in that last shot is beautiful!
Thanks, Terri.
Congratulations! I love seeing how you captured ‘him,’ in all the detail, showing that they’re not completely white.
Interesting that the Stilt and Avocet weren’t keen on sharing territory, but the two Egrets and Heron were ok. I suppose the difference is that the Stilt was nesting? Just foraging is ok?
And how close were the “companions” – you don’t happen to have even a poor shot of them all three in frame, do you?
Thank you again for starting my day off right!
Cheryl, the Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret were close to each other but the Cattle Egret was further away.
I have photos that include the Great Egret and the Great Blue Heron in the same frame but the Great Egret was a little soft – a depth of field thing.