This juvenile Snowy Egret had ventured away from his nest, learning how to get his own meals.
He had the stretch moves down, showing off his feet which aren’t quite the bright yellow of an adult.
But he was not successful while I was watching him. He got startled and flew back towards his nest.
A number of Snowy Egrets are nesting on a nearby island, along with some Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets and Anhinga. This fellow couldn’t seem to find a satisfactory spot to land and took a swoop out over the pond.
He put his landing gear down, but the water is a little too deep right here for them and those few sticks in the water wouldn’t have held him up.
Ah, a precarious perch, but all mine.
He assessed the situation back on the island…
and gave it another try.
We call it the Spoonie Tree because the Roseate Spoonbills often perch there, but it really is first come, first served and this year I’ve seen more Double-crested Cormorants than Spoonbills.
The Cormorants were just enjoying the sun and grooming, but the Spoonbills had a need to agitate.
Getting an image with all heads up didn’t work out that day.
The Snowy Egrets came and went, mostly ignored by the others.
January 16, 2020
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
This group of Snowy Egrets was being pretty sedate, not their usual darting and frenzied feeding on a recent early morning.
I’ve got your back!
Mirror, mirror at my feet… Yes, I am pretty!
I’ve wondered if birds have any perception of size. A Snowy Egret mingled with these American White Pelicans, perhaps thinking they would stir up a snack.
Average weight of a Snowy Egret: 13.1 oz (370 g)
Average weight of an AWP: 158.7-317.5 oz (4500-9000 g)
Source: The Cornell Lab: All About Birds
When wading birds are around a perch of any sort rarely goes unoccupied. When I first arrived at this pond just after sunup a Great Blue Heron was surveying the scene from a piece of driftwood. In the low light it looked a bit like an alligator.
Twenty minutes later the GBH had moved on and his spot had been quickly occupied by a Snowy Egret, with two Grackles closing in. Possession of such a coveted spot is a fluid thing.
Something, or someone, startled this flock of American White Pelicans at the edge of the pond. They lifted off but didn’t go far, landing on a mud flat in the middle.
In less than five minutes they had all settled down and were mostly facing the same way. A larger number of Snowy Egrets, White Ibis and a few Wood Storks in the group behind them didn’t react to the alert or the Pelicans landing.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area
February 10, 2020
The wading birds take to the trees when the tide is high.
Occasionally they pick dead trees with no cover, nice for the photographer.
Sometimes their perch choices look uncomfortable.
This tidal pond was fairly still, with a group of Snowy and Great Egrets having a feeding frenzy in the left corner as the water ebbed.
This pair of Snowy Egrets flew in to see what was happening, creating some interesting reflections. A few ripples in the water made doubles of part of the closer bird in this next image.
In this one I like how the closer bird is connected to the further bird’s reflection.
The ripple had a different effect here, making an S curve out of the closer leg reflection.
As the pair came closer to shore and started their landings some bushes ended by view.
Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
January 1, 2020
It’s a wrap. Thanks for following along and all of your comments throughout 2019. Best wishes for a peaceful and safe 2020.
