Egrets, and More Egrets

I’m afraid if I lived in California my hard drive would be as full of egret pictures as it is full of Great Blue Herons now, perhaps fuller since there are two kinds of egrets and only one Great Blue Heron. For better or worse, I saw more egrets in a single pond

Great Egrets with Snowy Egrets

than I’ll see in Western Washington all year, where we feel lucky to get an occasional Greater Egret. Of course, California actually has a third egret, the Cattle Egret but I don’t think I could distinguish it from the Snowy Egret.

My favorite egret is the Snowy Egret,

 Snowy Egrets

perhaps because I see it less often, perhaps because it’s plumage seems more photographic than that of the Great Egret,

Great Egret

which is certainly more imposing.

It’s no wonder that the beautiful Snowy Egret was nearly driven to extinction by hunters providing feathers for ladies’ hats.

Snowy Egret

It’s as striking standing still, feathers blowing in the breeze, as it is stalking the wetlands.

Snowy Egret

Not sure any of these are as good of photographs as I’ve gotten in previous visits, but I couldn’t resist taking another shot every time I saw one.

One thought on “Egrets, and More Egrets”

  1. They are beautiful birds aren’t they Loren? We have started to get little egrets in this country now, particularly in the South – their snowy whiteness makes them easy to spot – and they ae such elegant birds. Don’t apologise for putting so many shots on – each one has a beauty of its own.

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