I was photographing tidepool life at Lover’s Point in Monterey Bay when I caught sight of this snowy egret with dinner. Snowy egrets like to stalk their prey in shallow water, but in addition to fish, they also eat crustaceans, insects, small reptiles, snails, frogs, worms, mice and crayfish. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
Excellent shot, Sean. I photograph snowy egrets quite frequently in Humboldt County, but it is not always easy to get within close proximity of them. They wade through the water, stirring up the silt with their “golden slippers”, no doubt hoping that action will rustle up a meal. They are very beautiful birds and as with all egrets and herons, they are quite successful hunters.
“Galoshes” is an appropriate label considering the waters these birds wade through, Rachel. I can’t explain why my needle is stuck on “Golden Slippers”, but it probably harkens back to my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Brickley, who taught that song to her class.
Natural Habitat for bird captured in your photo, I remember seeing them all over the Bay also many in Florida must be in same family will take a fish right of your line
Yes, this one was taken at low tide amongst the clumps of sea grass that are revealed when the water recedes. I was photographing sea stars at the time.
We have thousands of them in New England for the summer, in particular at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury, MA. We have many of them here in western MA at Fannie Stebbins/Silvio Conte in Longmeadow, MA. It’s fun to watch them flip a fish in mid-air so it goes down the right way. Those scales can be nasty. Beautiful capture!
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I was photographing tidepool life at Lover’s Point in Monterey Bay when I caught sight of this snowy egret with dinner. Snowy egrets like to stalk their prey in shallow water, but in addition to fish, they also eat crustaceans, insects, small reptiles, snails, frogs, worms, mice and crayfish.
Excellent shot, Sean. I photograph snowy egrets quite frequently in Humboldt County, but it is not always easy to get within close proximity of them. They wade through the water, stirring up the silt with their “golden slippers”, no doubt hoping that action will rustle up a meal. They are very beautiful birds and as with all egrets and herons, they are quite successful hunters.
I refer to them as galoshes. 🙂
“Galoshes” is an appropriate label considering the waters these birds wade through, Rachel. I can’t explain why my needle is stuck on “Golden Slippers”, but it probably harkens back to my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Brickley, who taught that song to her class.
Sweet memories!
Natural Habitat for bird captured in your photo, I remember seeing them all over the Bay also many in Florida must be in same family will take a fish right of your line
Aunt Sue
Yes, this one was taken at low tide amongst the clumps of sea grass that are revealed when the water recedes. I was photographing sea stars at the time.
We have thousands of them in New England for the summer, in particular at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury, MA. We have many of them here in western MA at Fannie Stebbins/Silvio Conte in Longmeadow, MA. It’s fun to watch them flip a fish in mid-air so it goes down the right way. Those scales can be nasty. Beautiful capture!
Agreed on watching them toss the fish. They are pretty common and widespread, especially through most of South America.
—–.Feathered fronds unseen
—– As in beak is prey secured
—– Beauty’s privalage