{"id":4861,"date":"2012-04-23T04:00:20","date_gmt":"2012-04-23T10:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=4861"},"modified":"2025-07-13T10:58:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T15:58:54","slug":"reddish-egret-being-shadowed-by-laughing-gulls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/23\/reddish-egret-being-shadowed-by-laughing-gulls\/","title":{"rendered":"Reddish Egret Being Shadowed by Laughing Gulls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-150318 size-full\" title=\"Reddish Egret being shadowed by Laughing Gulls, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566.jpg\" alt=\"Reddish Egret being shadowed by Laughing Gulls, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"850\" height=\"424\" data-id=\"11389\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27424%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20424%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27424%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566-200x100.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566-400x200.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566-600x299.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566-768x383.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #888888;\">Reddish Egret being shadowed by Laughing Gulls &#8211; Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 135mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gulf_of_Mexico\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Gulf of Mexico<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as if it were a giant bathtub with huge waves.<\/p>\n<p>The waves pushed on shore battering the small fish found there and the birds were having a feeding frenzy.<\/p>\n<p>There were two Reddish Egrets on the north beach of Fort De Soto that day and it was a blast to watch them race around catching the small fish.<\/p>\n<p>Shadowing the Reddish Egret were Laughing Gulls hoping to scoop up any of the fish the egret might miss.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, it was a great day for bird photography!<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/reddish-egret-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Reddish Egret photos plus facts and information about this species. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/laughing-gull-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Laughing Gull photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,188,157],"tags":[4284,743,351,4185,4052,4122,4136,173,4077,3539,521,3995,4160,160,13445,2315,4119],"class_list":["post-4861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-laughing-gulls-gulls","category-reddish-egret","tag-chase","tag-egret","tag-egrets","tag-egretta-rufescens","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-foraging","tag-gulf-coast","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-laughing-gull","tag-leucophaeus-atricilla","tag-reddish-egret","tag-shadowed","tag-summer-3","tag-waves"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-0566.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1gp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1780,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/01\/17\/reddish-egret-laughing-and-ring-billed-gulls\/","url_meta":{"origin":4861,"position":0},"title":"Reddish Egret, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"There were quite a few Laughing Gulls on and near the shoreline, a few Ring-billed Gulls and two Reddish Egrets hunting on the beach that day.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Florida&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reddish Egret and Laughing Gulls, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-mia-mcpherson-0341.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-mia-mcpherson-0341.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-mia-mcpherson-0341.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/reddish-egret-laughing-gulls-mia-mcpherson-0341.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6098,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/09\/12\/4-years-ago-today-when-hurricane-ike-stirred-things-up-at-fort-de-soto\/","url_meta":{"origin":4861,"position":1},"title":"4 Years Ago Today When Hurricane Ike Stirred Things Up At Fort De Soto","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Four years ago today Hurricane Ike was out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and the waves that it generated made a strong splash at Fort De Soto County Park.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reddish Egret hunting, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-running-mia-mcpherson-0153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-running-mia-mcpherson-0153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-running-mia-mcpherson-0153.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-running-mia-mcpherson-0153.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6384,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/17\/four-years-ago-today-at-fort-de-soto\/","url_meta":{"origin":4861,"position":2},"title":"Four Years Ago Today At Fort De Soto","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a few images taken 4 years ago today at the north beach of Fort De Soto.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reddish Egret with a fish in a lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7445.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7445.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7445.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7445.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50993,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/02\/16\/pair-of-reddish-egrets-fighting-over-food\/","url_meta":{"origin":4861,"position":3},"title":"Pair of Reddish Egrets Fighting Over Food","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn't have a great angle of light when I photographed this pair of Reddish Egrets but I didn't want to move and disturb the birds so I stood still as I could.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Reddish Egrets fighting over prey, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egrets-pair-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-0521.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egrets-pair-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-0521.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egrets-pair-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-0521.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egrets-pair-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-0521.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5355,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/21\/reddish-egret\/","url_meta":{"origin":4861,"position":4},"title":"Reddish Egret With Lunch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) in October of 2008 at Fort De Soto's north beach.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reddish Egret lunch time, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7448.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7448.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/reddish-egret-fish-mia-mcpherson-7448.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29864,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/10\/14\/the-ring-billed-gull-ballet\/","url_meta":{"origin":4861,"position":5},"title":"The Ring-billed Gull Ballet","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Among the bait fish skirmishes one solitary Ring-billed Gull stood out to me and as it flew after the Reddish Egret and Laughing Gulls I kept my lens trained on it.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ring-billed Gull Ballet, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ring-billed-gull-landing-mia-mcpherson-0421.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ring-billed-gull-landing-mia-mcpherson-0421.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ring-billed-gull-landing-mia-mcpherson-0421.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ring-billed-gull-landing-mia-mcpherson-0421.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\/4861","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=4861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4861\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}