Snowy Egrets

Since Jeff, Leslie and Margaret were constantly with Mary during her hospice care and there was little for me to do, I decided to visit Spring Lake, one of Mary and Doug’s favorite places and one of the first places they took me to visit when I first met them some seventeen years ago. I don’t think I was too impressed on that first visit — it was, after all, a rather small lake compared to those we have in the Pacific Northwest. But over time, I have become quite fond of the walk around Lake Ralphine and Spring Lake, particularly since I’ve taken up bird watching in the last five or six years.

On my Monday walk, the first of four walks during the week, I was greeted by a Snowy Egret in exactly the same spot I’d taken pictures of one previously. Since we don’t have Snowy Egrets in the Pacific Northwest, I never pass up the chance to get new shots, particularly when they’re as indifferent to my presence as this one was. In fact, it took considerable effort to get far enough away to get anything but a close up like this first shot of it.

Snowy Egret

When I did get far enough away to get a full frame shot, the bird nearly disappeared into the shadows, but I still thought this was a striking shot.

Snowy Egret

After about ten minutes of fishing, the egret waded to the other side of the island where the lighting was better, almost good enough, though not quite, to capture the small fish in its beak.

 Snowy Egret

I’ll have to admit that this Snowy Egret seemed so at home on this stretch of shore that I took it for granted that it would also be there when I came back during the rest of the week. Otherwise, I’m sure I would stayed and taken more shots.

As it turned out, that assumption was wrong. I didn’t see the Snowy Egret in the same place the rest of the week. In fact, I only saw it in the distance on my next three visits,

Snowy Egret

and barely glimpsed it as flew away as I approached on my last sighting.

Snowy Egret

Another reminder that its best not to take anything for granted in life; nothing lasts forever.

2 thoughts on “Snowy Egrets”

  1. Great shots. Love Snowy Egrets. Love lasts forever. (Actually, time is an illusion and “forever” is meaningless. It’s an artifact of a limited consciousness. But it’s okay. You do the best you can with what you’ve got. We’ll be okay.)

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