Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret: Viera Wetlands, Fl

Cattle egrets seem to be everywhere in Florida.  Whether you are in the wetlands, farmland, or center city the cattle egrets are there. 

In non-breeding plumage they really are not much to look at, but when attired in breeding plumage I find them rather striking.

Beautiful White Death Stalks the Marshes

Silent as a ghost, a Great Egret stalks the marsh

And captures its prey with a quick strike

To us the great egret is a creature of beauty and grace; for its prey it is their worst nightmare came true.

The above images were captured at the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera

Stalking: Great Egret

A Great Egret cautiously stalks its hidden prey.  The ripples from its slow steps are visible on the water's surface.

Egrets in Flight

This photograph of three Egrets in flight was captured during my recent Florida visit.  Shortly after sunup Egrets which were roosting near my vantage point began flying out for their day's foraging.  The warm low angle sunlight played perfectly upon their white plumage painting them with a golden glow.

This is a mixed flock of Egrets; the two birds in front are Snowy Egrets with a Great Egret bringing up the rear.

Great Egret

With a curtain like backdrop of Spanish Moss draped branches the contrasting white of a Great Egret's plumage becomes a contrasting focal point.

Wildlife close-up are usually my goal but in this situation I feel that including a significant portion of the environment contributed to the overall appeal of the photograph.

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egrets are frequently see wading along the edges of most any Florida wetlands.  A strong breeze caught the crest of this egret giving it a momentary "bad hair day".

  

Standing stoically a Snowy Egret watches over its watery domain

   

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Great Egret

Staying with our son & daughter-in-law in Saint Cloud, Florida I was eager to head down Canoe Creek Road looking for wildlife.  As dawn broke Friday morning Chad & I headed in the direction of Joe Overstreet Landing ready for some quality guy time.  We had barely passed the city limits when I had to slow the car for a herd of deer that was undecided about crossing the roadway.

Before reaching our destination I spotted a flock of Wood Storks feeding in a small roadside wetland.  Swinging the car around we grabbed the camera gear and ambled into position.  Our arrival coincided with that of a Great Egret.

The gimbal tripod head allowed me to follow the bird as it came in for a landing

I liked this shot best as the egret flared its wings in preparation for landing.  The composition doesn't suit me but action shooting doesn't always work out a well as hoped for.  These photos were shot very early, the sun was just hitting the tree tops giving the images a very warm glow.

The little wetland had much more to offer than I suspected.  I'll be sharing more in the coming days.