{"id":155292,"date":"2025-09-11T04:44:56","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T09:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=155292"},"modified":"2025-09-11T04:44:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T09:44:56","slug":"great-egret-in-bottomland-hardwood-forest-habitat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/09\/11\/great-egret-in-bottomland-hardwood-forest-habitat\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Egret In Bottomland Hardwood Forest Habitat"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I photographed this Great Egret perched high in a tree at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> four days ago, I was drawn in by the habitat.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Egret perched in a tree in summer \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 800, -1.0 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

After nearly fifteen years in Utah, I\u2019m soothed by how green it is, even this late in the summer, in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The morning light might have shown a little gold on the leaves of the tree the egret was perched on, but the green in the background is wonderful to me.<\/p>\n

This Great Egret had company, with another egret in the tree next to it, and down below near the water\u2019s edge a Great Blue Heron had been foraging.<\/p>\n

Me? I was walking on the Sally Jones Causeway.<\/p>\n

This summer I haven\u2019t seen as many Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Green Herons, or Great Blue Herons as I did last summer at the refuge. The edges of the roads are pretty grown up, and that makes it harder to see even the larger wading birds there.<\/p>\n

Is that the only reason I am seeing fewer of these wading birds?<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t even hazard a guess. There are simply too many variables at this point in time.<\/p>\n

I miss seeing and photographing these wading birds, so when I get the chance, even from far away, I’m going to take it.<\/p>\n

Besides, this is a great way to show what it feels like to be out wandering on foot in the bottomland habitat.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155289,"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":[27,362,13973,13974],"tags":[4004,4272,14190,13984,16737,743,351,363,683,4104,15457,2315,4076,313],"class_list":["post-155292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-great-egrets","category-oklahoma","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-adult","tag-ardea-alba","tag-bottomland-hardwood-forest","tag-bottomlands","tag-distant","tag-egret","tag-egrets","tag-great-egret","tag-habitat-2","tag-perched","tag-sally-jones-lake","tag-summer-3","tag-trees","tag-wading-birds"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-in-a-tree-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-EoI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":149898,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/07\/07\/foraging-great-egret-close-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":155292,"position":0},"title":"Foraging Great Egret Close Up","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The day before the recent holiday, I was happy to take a close up photo of a foraging Great Egret at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge from the road.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Foraging Great Egret close up at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/great-egret-close-up-ok-mia-mcpherson-1298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/great-egret-close-up-ok-mia-mcpherson-1298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/great-egret-close-up-ok-mia-mcpherson-1298.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/great-egret-close-up-ok-mia-mcpherson-1298.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":156366,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/09\/17\/great-blue-heron-in-a-sycamore-from-a-distance\/","url_meta":{"origin":155292,"position":1},"title":"Great Blue Heron In A Sycamore: From A Distance","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I\u2019m sharing a photo of a Great Blue Heron perched in a sycamore over Sally Jones Lake at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Blue Heron in a sycamore tree, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-blue-heron-sycamore-mia-mcpherson-8791.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-blue-heron-sycamore-mia-mcpherson-8791.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-blue-heron-sycamore-mia-mcpherson-8791.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-blue-heron-sycamore-mia-mcpherson-8791.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":127812,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/23\/what-the-fluff-great-egret-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":155292,"position":2},"title":"What The Fluff? 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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/great-egret-april-morning-mist-mia-mcpherson-8781.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":155292,"position":3},"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. The red vegetation floating on the water is azolla.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Egret at Sequoyah NWR, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/great-egret-red-azolla-mia-mcpherson-1337.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/great-egret-red-azolla-mia-mcpherson-1337.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/great-egret-red-azolla-mia-mcpherson-1337.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/great-egret-red-azolla-mia-mcpherson-1337.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115038,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/06\/great-egret-portrait-at-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":155292,"position":4},"title":"Great Egret Portrait At Sequoyah NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I took this Great Egret portrait at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma in June while I was visiting my friend and fellow photographer, Steve Creek.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Egret portrait at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/great-egret-portrait-azolla-mia-mcpherson-7233.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/great-egret-portrait-azolla-mia-mcpherson-7233.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/great-egret-portrait-azolla-mia-mcpherson-7233.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/great-egret-portrait-azolla-mia-mcpherson-7233.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":129622,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/06\/20\/great-egret-in-a-morning-mist-at-tishomingo-wildlife-management-unit\/","url_meta":{"origin":155292,"position":5},"title":"Great Egret In A Morning Mist At Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Is this a landscape photo with a Great Egret in it or a bird image with a bottomlands hardwood forest habitat in it? You get to decide, it doesn't matter to me.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Foraging Great Egret in a morning mist, Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tishomingo-wmu-great-egret-mist-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tishomingo-wmu-great-egret-mist-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tishomingo-wmu-great-egret-mist-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tishomingo-wmu-great-egret-mist-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}