By Mia McPherson, on April 23rd, 2012%  Reddish Egret being shadowed by Laughing Gulls - Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 135mm, natural light This image is a favorite of mine because it brings back memories of the day I created it. Way off shore there was a hurricane that stirred up the Gulf of Mexico as if it were a giant bathtub with huge waves. The waves pushed on shore battering the small fish found there and the birds were having a feeding frenzy.
There were two Reddish Egrets (Egretta rufescens) on the north beach of Fort De Soto that day and it was a blast to watch them race around catching the small fish. Shadowing the egret were Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) hoping to scoop up any of the fish the egret might miss. Photographing the action was exhilarating, I could barely keep up with the Reddish Egret and the gulls and it was even harder to keep them in my viewfinder.
Yeah, it was a great day for bird photography!
Mia
By Mia McPherson, on February 22nd, 2012% Just a quick post today of a white morph Reddish Egret hunting. I came across this file the other day while going through some of my older images.
White morph Reddish Egret hunting ~ Fort De Soto County Park, Florida
Nikon D200, handheld, f8, 1/500, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
While I lived in Florida I simply adored being able to photograph Reddish Egrets, they can be graceful or goofy looking, they twirl, dash and dance. This bird; in nonbreeding plumage, was hunting along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico and gave me quite a show.
Mia
More Reddish Egret images
By Mia McPherson, on November 10th, 2011% 
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) fishing in the surf
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited
While I lived in Florida I took thousands (and thousands) of images of Reddish Egrets and I am very glad that I did because they are rarities in Utah, where I now live.
For the image above I laid down in the wet sand where the water lapped the shoreline to get a very low angle, the Reddish Egret wasn’t paying attention to me at all, it was completely focused on fishing for its breakfast. I love how the incoming wave broke just in front of the bird while it had the fish in its bill.
Fluffed up preening Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 160, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 180mm, natural light, not baited
I’d had some problems with my Nikkor 80-400mm VR lens when I took the image above and had shipped it off for repair. I didn’t like to take my Nikkor 200-400mm VR f/4 to the beach because I was in the sand and water so often so instead I opted to take my Nikkor 70-300mm VR that day. Because many birds in Florida are used to human presence they are far less skittish than the birds here in Utah and I could easily use a shorter focal length.
This Reddish Egret was perched on a downed tree while preening and allowed a close approach. Though some people may think the angle is a bit steep I think the pose, the bird being in breeding plumage, ruffled “mane” and the feather stuck on the bill add interesting dynamics to the frame.
Until I get back to Florida for a “photocation” I will just enjoy the images I took while living there.
Mia
More Reddish Egret Images
By Mia McPherson, on July 26th, 2011% 
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) portrait in breeding plumage
Fort De Soto County Park on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast
Nikon D200, f8, 1/1000, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Imagine that the temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit, pretty hot even by Florida’s standards for March. Then imagine that the humidity is about 97%. You get out of your air-conditioned vehicle to take a short walk to the beach & lagoons and before you get even the equivalent of one city block you are drenched with sweat, rivulets coming down your face and getting into your eyes. Your clothes are damp and the sugar sand is beginning to stick to your ankles because of the perspiration that is there.
Slipping quietly into the water of the lagoon helps some, the water is just a bit cooler than the air. First kneeling then moving one knee forward at a time to slowly move closer to my subject. Stopping, watching to see if the bird shows any sign of alarm or that it might take flight. Creeping forward again at a snail’s pace. Tiny pink shrimp tickle the exposed skin on my legs as a flounder that had been buried in the sand scoots away as fast as it can. The water is to my waistline but it feels refreshing considering the heat you can see simmering like a mirage off the the surface of the water. A Pipefish wiggled by just barely under the surface of the water just inches from my thighs.
I had to stop and take my bandanna from my backpack to wipe my eyes because the sweat was burning them and I couldn’t see clearly through the viewfinder. I recall swallowing a small sip of water from my bottle when I felt like pouring the entire thing over my head to help me cool off.
Then in flew a Reddish Egret; a large wading bird, who landed on the sandy shoreline which is slightly above me where I was kneeling in the salty water of the tidal lagoon. The egret was in breeding plumage, what a treat. It was so comfortable in my presence that it just stood there, changing position once in awhile allowing full body shots, close ups, landscape and portrait formats. Elegant poses, funny poses and relaxed postures.
In 9 minutes I took almost 200 shots of “Big Red” before I realized that I felt like I was melting in the heat. The sun was getting higher and I knew I had to find relief from the scorching sun. I backed away as slowly as I had approached the shoreline not wanting to disturb the egret. The egret remained there standing still on its long, thin legs.
Was it worth it to feel like a wrung out dishrag to get those shots? Or feeling that every pore on my skin had opened like faucets? Worth the sand in my clothes, scrapes on my knees and looking like something the cat had wanted to drag in but decided it was way too dirty?
You betcha. I’d do it again in a heart beat. I’m addicted to bird photography just in case I had not mentioned it before.
Mia
More Reddish Egret images
By Mia McPherson, on July 8th, 2011% 
White Morph of Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) – The Dancer
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 250mm, natural light, not baited
Reddish Egrets seem to be natural born “Dancers” when they are hunting for prey, they twirl, spin, pir0quette and dip. They can look very funny, goofy and yet still be graceful. I came across this Reddish Egret white morph while photographing with a friend at Fort De Soto’s north beach one morning and it provided us with at least half an hour of entertainment.
I’ve heard that you can only get shots like this with long lenses but I don’t think that holds true in every situation. This photo was taken using my Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens at only 250mm and this wasn’t much of a crop. One of the reasons I was able to be this close to this Reddish Egret was because the birds at Fort De Soto are used to having humans around and they are less flighty because of that. Another reason is that I either sat or laid down on the beach so that my low profile was less threatening to the egret than it would have been if I had been standing up.
White Morph of Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) – a Ballet Pose
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 250mm, natural light, not baited
This white morph is in breeding plumage shown by the pink bill and the blue lores. Reddish Egrets can be found almost all year long at Fort De Soto, the only time I was really aware of their absence was after a tropical storm swept through the Gulf coast. Reddish Egrets frequent mudflats, tidal lagoons and along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico.
Watching and photographing them as they dance through the warm waters chasing prey is a spectacular sight. It is mesmerizing for a bird photographer like myself.
Mia
More Reddish Egret white morph images
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Photographing a Tricolored Heron from a tidal lagoon
Focusing on Wildlife Contributor
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