Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) photos by Larry Jordan
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) takes a wide range of prey items including earthworms, annelid worms, aquatic and terrestrial insects, crabs, shrimp, prawns, crayfish, other crustaceans, snails, freshwater and marine fish, frogs, toads, snakes and lizards. Even though they consume this variety of prey items, their diet consists predominately of fish. Click on photos for full sized images.
The Snowy Egret also has the broadest feeding behavioral repertoire of all North American herons1.
In this series of photos this bird is open-wing feeding (above), running…
and walking slowly showing its yellow or golden slippers.
I caught a few more shots as he or she moved farther away.
It was like I was watching an elaborate dance…
until another Snowy Egret flew nearby, seemingly annoying the bird I had been photographing to the point of an ensuing chase.
The video below I shot at Arcada Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, an incredible 307 acre wetland on the California Coast. You will see the Snowy Egret showing several of its fishing techniques, including foot stirring behavior in the first 30 seconds of the video.
If you love birds check out World Bird Wednesday and join us by adding your own post!
References: 1Birds of North America Online
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful action images Larry! Snowy Egrets are amusing subjects to photograph, especially when they are hunting!
Mia McPherson´s last post ..Any day now…
Beautiful captures, Larry! I also enjoyed the video, particularly the foot-stirring behaviour.
nature rambles´s last post ..The Tailor Bird for WBW
so beautiful! and entertaining.
TexWisGirl´s last post ..Whistler wonders
A very good photo!
Perfect for WBW!
Beautiful egret and awesome photos. They are fun to watch!
eileen´s last post ..Eastern Bluebirds
Fantastic photos of this beautiful bird!!
fjällripan´s last post ..Sångsvanarna på Överön…
So graceful, and very nice narrative, larry!
Great images and video, Larry. We observed the foot stirring at Woodbridge, I hadn’t seen it before that.
Martha Z´s last post ..Birding at San Pablo Bay
A great series of photos. It’s very interesting to see so many different poses as the bird searches for and catches its food.
Mick´s last post ..Fantail
Fascinating Larry, and so beautiful. How marvelous that you were there to get these wonderful captures!!!
Mary Howell Cromer´s last post ..Morning Drive Along the "Official" Scenic Route~
Great action shots Larry!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Boom & Gary´s last post ..Muskrats of The Vermilon River. A Post To MWT and WBW
A great series of a good dancer…
Modesto Viegas (Portugal)´s last post ..Grou
It’s such a beautiful bird! I love the photos and videos are superb!
joo´s last post ..Not only peacocks
What a fantastic series of photos showing this bird in action! Love it!
Pat´s last post ..The Grackle
Excellent as always Larry!
WBW!
Larry, I enjoyed the dance and the fishing.
Super photos and videos!
Jean´s last post ..Brown-headed Nuthatch Nest Drama!
{ 1 trackback }