In the stately and dignified world of herons, Reddish Egrets are the swashbuckling cousins.
These big, cinnamon and steely gray birds put on a show as they forage in shallow saltwater. They race back and forth, open and shut their wings, stir up sediment with their feet, and even swoop low over the water in flight—all in pursuit of small fish.
Reddish Egrets also have a rarer, all-white plumage or "morph." In any plumage, the two-toned bill and shaggy head and neck feathers give them a distinctive look. Cornell All About Birds
After being awaken very early one morning while camping in Everglades National Park by a pair of Barred Owls calling back and forth across Eco Pond I scrambled out of bed in a hurry and headed over to the pond. I still had another hour or so till sunrise but the pond was already crowded with a vast assortment of birds.
I spent the next four hours pond side and came back to camp with a memory card full of images.
I have always thought of the Reddish Egret as a very elegant bird and love its shaggy appearance.
Eco Pond, Everglades National Park, Florida.
