Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Great Egret



Mr Science and I had decided on an outing in the backwaters of the Mississippi. He is not quite the devoted fisherman that I am so we usually combine a lot of exploring with a little fishing (unless they're really biting like crazy). On this particular day it was mostly poking about looking for shorebirds. Let's call it a Great Egret Day


The first one we spotted was high above a backwater shoreline.



Around the next bend it appeared that several had joined a flock of Canada Geese. More appeared as we drifted slowly along in the current.

Great egrets are found near water, salt or fresh, and feed in wetlands, streams, ponds, tidal flats, and other areas. They snare prey by walking slowly or standing still for long periods, waiting for an animal to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. The deathblow is delivered with a quick thrust of the sharp bill, and the prey is swallowed whole. Fish are a dietary staple, but great egrets use similar techniques to eat amphibians, reptiles, mice, and other small animals.



The Father of Waters is a busy waterway. The main channel a major economic artery and recreational boating area. And yet.... Off the beaten path in a maze of quiet channels you can almost forget train and motor traffic in the distance. The small towns along the river might have a "noon whistle" you can vaguely hear far away. Still, its easy to drift into the thought that you are in a remote wilderness. The call of the birds. Eagles and ospreys drift overhead. The splash of a hungry bass. A muskrat paddling hurriedly for shore. Water lilies blooming along the edge. Alone or with a good friend.

It's a place I like to spend a lazy summer day.

12 comments:

  1. Amen to that. Would that we could "all" get out more often in quiet places away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life - to enjoy the scenery and serenity, the birds, the fish, and whatever else comes along! Nice post, TB.

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  2. Sounds like a dream. What a great day!

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  3. Sound like a good place to get away to and do a bit of dreaming of stories about 'the one that got away' TB. :)

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  4. We sometimes are fortunate to see these beautiful white birds here in northeast Wisconsin. We are on the extreme northern edge of their breeding range, but I've seen them around Lake Winnebago and also on the shores of the Fox River.

    Nice post. I enjoyed it.

    donna

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  5. That makes for a wonderful afternoon outing! I've seen these birds before, hanging around roadside ditches filled with water in the farm areas of central Illinois. I always thought they were cranes. I'm glad you cleared that up for me.

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  6. They are beautiful creatures. We sometimes see them around our lakes in the summer. It is an awesome sight watching them in flight.

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  7. Hi there,
    We have egrets that live here also. They seem to be a smaller version of yours.
    Before I go, how is it that you can fish and breeze about up there in February, and we are a winter wonderland down here in the South with frozen lakes, ponds, and 15 inches of snow!
    We are just now living right, apparently!
    Jeanie

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  8. I really enjoyed your post! I saw my first Egrets this last Summer at the Quivera NWR. Continue to enjoy God's creation and share it with us :-)

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  9. Lovely post, TB--I especially like your photo of the egret in flight. We love our egrets here in Florida, and like Jeanie, I think it is a related, but smaller species.

    Somehow, it's been awhile again since I have visited your blog, and it's been fun to catch up on your posts. Those polar bear photos are amazing!

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  10. What a nice shot of summer for my winter day! Thank you! :)

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  11. Being in SE Louisiana (& not far from Lake Pontchartrain,) we have lots of great egrets (& others,) in our area. I've always loved them & still do. Great shots. Hope you had a wonderful time.

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