Great Egrets steal nest building materials from other nests, even when there appears to be plenty of unclaimed sticks scattered all around. This one made quite a production of showing off before reaching for a stick at the edge of a Great Blue Heron nest.

I was surprised that the Great Blue Heron wasn’t moved to action as the stretch was on.

Got it.

After all that, the stick didn’t measure up and the Great Egret dropped it. It was the Great Egret in the upper nest that finally stood up and drove the interloper off.