White morph Reddish Egret on the hunt – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 250mm, natural light
Yesterday I featured a Snowy Egret and today I am presenting another big white wading bird; the white morph of a Reddish Egret.
Both the white and dark morphs of Reddish Egrets are great fun to watch as they hunt because they dance, twirl, whirl, and stumble along like a “drunken sailor”.
This Reddish Egret in breeding plumage sure presented a funny pose and didn’t seem to care a bit that I that was sitting on the shoreline photographing it when it rushed towards me.
I could almost see the newspaper headline “Bird photographer in a hit and run accident with a large white wading bird, whose feathers got ruffled?”
Fortunately I must not have looked like food and the egret didn’t spear me with its sharp bicolored bill.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Reddish Egret photos plus facts and information about this species.
Does the red refer to the bill? looks like something that i could watch for a long while.
That sure is a determined look!
I would never have known this was the Reddish Egret. Beautiful shot, Mia!
Great shot!
very good,
it s an unusual position face to face and wings open like that, great shot mia =))
have a nice evening
And how glad we are that you weren’t skewered. And that you caught and shared this wonderful image. Thank you.
Nice I image Mia, and I also enjoyed your commentary — especially the funny part. I had to read more about the white morph, so I went to Kaufman’s Lives of N. American Birds: “…notable for its two color morphs, Reddish Egrets are either dark or white for life, beginning with the downy stage in the nest. Mated pairs may be of the same or different color morphs, and broods of young may include either or both morphs. Over most of range, dark birds are far more numerous.”
Excellent Photograph! the composition, tone and detail across the birds wings and neck.. and then the cool pose too 😉 and great narrative.
Wonderful bird! Always enjoy your commentary describing the action.
great picture and love your commentary.
Good looking bird.