{"id":129084,"date":"2024-05-27T02:51:33","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T07:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=129084"},"modified":"2024-05-27T04:11:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-27T09:11:02","slug":"western-cattle-egret-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/05\/27\/western-cattle-egret-in-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Cattle Egret in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> a few days ago, I found and photographed this Western Cattle Egret while on the Wildlife Drive auto tour route.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Cattle Egret in breeding plumage at Hagerman NWR \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 1250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This wasn’t the only cattle egret I saw, but it was the only one close enough to photograph. I appreciated the fact that the egret was still in breeding plumage. I haven’t seen these egrets in that plumage since before I left Florida in 2009.<\/p>\n

The day was dark and dreary, and I do wish the light had been better.<\/p>\n

I’ve been seeing large flocks of these egrets at home, feeding in the fields. I wonder what they are eating and hope to find out soon. The weather hasn’t cooperated, though; it has been sunny and windy, or cloudy, windy and stormy.<\/p>\n

\"RoadsideRoadside Western Cattle Egret \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 1250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The light is supposed to be better today but I am heading out before first light to one of the other nearby refuges.<\/p>\n

I did see Western Cattle Egrets in Utah now and then. Here, I know that will be seeing them more far more frequently.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Western Cattle Egret photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge a few days ago, I found and photographed this Western Cattle Egret while on the Wildlife Drive auto tour route.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":129078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,15111,15110,15109,6836],"tags":[4004,6837,13984,4053,743,351,15115,11385,4094,5300,165,313,6838],"class_list":["post-129084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-grayson-county","category-hagerman-national-wildlife-refuge","category-texas","category-cattle-egrets","tag-adult","tag-ardea-ibis","tag-bottomlands","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-egret","tag-egrets","tag-lake-texoma","tag-lakeside","tag-marsh","tag-roadside","tag-spring","tag-wading-birds","tag-western-cattle-egret"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cattle-egret-hagerman-NWR-mia-mcpherson-1585.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-xA0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":129190,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/06\/05\/oklahoma-move-update-landing-western-cattle-egret\/","url_meta":{"origin":129084,"position":0},"title":"Oklahoma Move Update – Landing Western Cattle Egret","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This landing Cattle Egret is slightly symbolic of my arrival in a new state and seeing the birds and wildlife of Oklahoma right outside my back door every day.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Landing Western Cattle Egret, Marshall County, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":114410,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/07\/16\/great-egret-and-azolla-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":129084,"position":1},"title":"Great Egret And Azolla At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 16, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When I visited my friend Steve Creek, I photographed this Great Egret at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. 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Great Egret Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I took this Great Egret photo yesterday at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. Even with the morning mist, I could tell something fluffy was stuck on its bill.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Egret in a morning mist with cottonwood fluff on their bill, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/great-egret-april-morning-mist-mia-mcpherson-8781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/great-egret-april-morning-mist-mia-mcpherson-8781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/great-egret-april-morning-mist-mia-mcpherson-8781.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When I photographed this Great Egret perched high in a tree at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge four days ago, I was drawn in by the habitat.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Egret perched in a tree in summer, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-in-a-tree-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-in-a-tree-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-in-a-tree-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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