With birds you just never know what might happen.
A week ago today I was beginning my trip home after a morning spent photographing birds at Bear River MBR when I came across this Great Egret perched on an old snag sticking out of the far side of the Bear River. ‘He’ was calm and relaxed so I got quite a few photos of him while he was perched there.
He even roused a couple of times, indicating to me that he wasn’t nervous about anything.
Eventually he took off to the east. He seemed to be in no hurry, as suggested by his leisurely and elegant, one-footed takeoff.
I’m including several photos of him immediately after takeoff just because…
I like them, even though he was already slightly past me.
I got lots of photos of him in flight after he dropped down next to the river. It was at this point that I began to sense some urgency in his flight. His wing strokes had become more powerful as he picked up speed.
Suddenly he veered to the north, gaining elevation quickly in order to clear the riverbank.
I think this is an interesting photo in its own right because both his shadow on the riverbank and part of the white bird itself are reflected separately on the water. I don’t remember seeing that in my photos before. Maybe I just didn’t notice.
It wasn’t until this photo that I realized why the egret had turned on his afterburners. A Great Blue Heron was right on his tail. Prior to this, I had no idea there was a heron anywhere in the area.
And the heron wasn’t playing around. It was in full attack mode.
The egret banked sharply in an effort to lose his pursuer, or at least to put more distance between them.
The long chase was on. Notice that the heron is squawking at the egret. Even at this distance I could hear it.
After this shot I got…
dozens of photos of them flying north with the heron still in hot pursuit. It lasted so long I eventually just stopped taking photos and after a while they disappeared as tiny dots against the mountains.
I had the impression that the heron wasn’t going to give up until it had chased the egret into the next county. Which would have been Oneida County, in Idaho.
Ron
Note: Image techs for these photos are in the range of 1/4000 – 1/6400, f/6.3, ISO 320 – 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc.
The photos make the heron’s wings look longer than the egrets. I have seen these 2 species face off and then go their own ways but have never seen a full chase.
Loved this series, but the one-footed take-off shot is my favorite — “leisurely and elegant” indeed!
Much appreciated, Karen. That shot wasn’t related to the chase but I had to include it because I liked his takeoff posture so much.
Very neat series. I have decided herons and egrets are a grumpy lot.
Thanks, April. You may be right.
Wow. Someone definitely woke on the wrong side of the bed, and the Great Egret knew it…
A fascinating series. The disembodied shadow and reflection take the prize for me.
“Someone definitely woke on the wrong side of the bed.”
EC, that’s one way, a good way, to put it.
super series, thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
That is a remarkable series. I have never seen one chase another more than just a few yards and that was enough to satisfy it. In all my times seeing this it has always been the Heron chasing the Egret. From my experience they are always the aggressor. Interesting though that I have a number of photos of them very close without ever fighting. Guess it is an individual thing or could depend on how well fed they are or the number of fish available etc.
Who knows what motivated the heron, Everett. Maybe it was just having a bad day… 🙂
Made me think of the sky filled with pterodactyls! What a sight that must have been. You’d have filled up on it, no doubt.
“Made me think of the sky filled with pterodactyls!”
Believe it or not, I had the same thought.
WOW! I never would have thought of Great Blue’s being that aggressive! Appears the Egret was able to out run the Heron. Great series and beautiful captures of the Great Egret…. 🙂 Shadow and reflection really add to the photo IMO….. 🙂
Judy, I’ve seen one other kerfuffle between these two species. Both times it was the heron that was the aggressor.
Elegant and beautiful turns to fascination. What a catch Ron!
Never seen such a targeted and long-pursued kerfuffle between birds of this sort. Got to wonder what sort of trespass waranted this expenditure of energy.
Michael, I’ve seen both species foraging peacefully together several times in the past so I was a little surprised to see this attack. Birds being birds I guess…
Incredibly beautiful birds and photos. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Mary.
I, too, would not have thought GBHs were that aggressive but, hopefully, live and learn every day. Great, great series. I also really love Sallie’s word picture of a “sky full of pterodactyls”. That is such a powerful image that it is one which will stay with me for quite some time I suspect.
Thanks, Grann Pat.
Great series. Loved the dual shadow and reflection.
Thanks, Brett.