Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) breeds across much of the United States. It can be very common at many coastal areas as well as fresh-water marshes and swamps at many inland locations. It is a small white egret with dark legs and "yellow slippers" in most plumages. The breeding plumaged bird on the left was photographed in April, 1999, at High Island, Galveston Co., Texas, with a canon EOS 1N and EF 300mm F/2.8 L lens and 2X extender on Fuji Sensia. The image below that one as well as the image immediately below this text were shot at Anahuac N.W.R., Chambers Co., Texas, in March, 2001, with a Canon EOS 3 and EF 600mm F/4 L lens on Fuji Velvia. The shot of the breeding plumaged bird walking through the grass was a digital shot in Port Bolivar, Galveston Co., Texas, in March, 2004, with a Canon EOS 10D and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender.

The shot immediately below shows some Snowy Egrets at a pond with blooming water lilies in Kenedy Co., Texas, in June, 2000. The shot was taken with a Canon EOS 3 and EF 600mm F/4 L lens and 1.4X extender on Fuji Velvia. The next show shows some Snowy Egrets in flight at Ouray N.W.R., Uintah Co., Utah, in June, 2001. The same photo gear was used.

The set of five images on the left were taken at Ding Darling N.W.R., on Sanibel Island, Lee Co., Florida, in November, 2006. Several herons and egrets had discovered a number of fish in a deep pool of water. The water was just too deep for the egrets to wade in and hunt the fish as they usually do, so the birds improvised. I watched as several species, including this Snowy Egret, flew back and forth over the pool and plunged their head and bill into the water in order to catch a fish without getting their feet wet! It was fun to watch. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens.