An old post in Magnolia’s boat pond is a coveted perch for the wading birds. This Great Egret took a turn as the sun burned off the early morning fog.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
October 16, 2026
Great Egret On A Post
Tag Archives: Great Egret
Early Morning Fog, Ashley River
Just before dawn this morning a few wading birds and alligators had started their day.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
October 16, 2026
Great Egret and Alligators at the Base of Spoonie Tree
Wind was whipping up the water and bird feathers at Donnelly on Monday. This Great Egret was perched on the base of the now fallen Spoonie Tree.
I moved along the dike and got a couple more views, not seeing those massive Alligators until looking through my pictures at home.
I think of Alligators as wanting to stay out of the wind especially on a day below 75 degrees F (24 C) , but there were many laying around on the pond banks soaking up the sun.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 12, 2026
Great Egret Coming Through
The Great Egret’s chosen landing spot was occupied, but it didn’t slow him down or cause him to alter his plan.
It worked out as the immature Snowy Egret just kept on walking, never turning his head.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
July 4, 2026
Bath Time at Cypress Wetlands
A few Roseate Spoonbills had one corner of the pond to themselves.
The white birds seemed to be getting dirtier as they splashed around on a mud bar.
And there was a lot of coming and going, with birds dropping in from the trees on the left while others exited every which way.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
June 5, 2026
Great Egrets Nesting
The rookery at Cypress Wetlands is bursting with nesting activity. Great Egrets were mostly settled in last week, with many laying on nests and just a few displaying mating behavior.
These were the only eggs I saw, the nest was at the perfect height with the Egret stood to tend the nest.
The vegetation on the center island of the rookery was not fully leafed out, allowing good views of the action.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
March 31, 2026
Great Egrets Nesting, And an Interloper
A pair of Great Egrets was having an affectionate greeting as one returned to the nest.
Then a third tried to land and was quickly run off.
I’m not sure if he was trying to take over or just landed in the wrong spot. Great Egrets can be very aggressive so either is possible.
With nests all around how do birds manage to fly back to the one that is theirs? A big mystery.
Number three circled around and landed in the same tree in a higher branch out of my view. These two went back to being happy.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 26, 2026
Taken with my recently repaired OM 100-400 lens — all seems good.
Great Egret, Foggy Morning
Ravenswood Pond, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 7, 2026
Moon Over My Shoulder
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL
February 24, 2026
Great Egret Close-up Take Off
I and several other folks walked underneath this Great Egret over the course of an hour.
In that hour the weather completely changed from a gorgeous blue sky morning to total overcast. Just as I was passing underneath after walking the dike, the Great Egret decided to go.
I wasn’t really prepared but took the shots anyway…
I was using my new OM System camera and wasn’t quick enough to zoom out to catch the entire bird.
Even so, I liked the detail on his feathers.
And when he got a bit further away he was fully in the frame.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 23, 2025