My husband and I drove through Ding Darling this morning and we had the opportunity to witness the Reddish Egret....take a look.....
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| The Reddish Egret is famous for its dance - here it creates a shadow distraction for the fish. |
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| and BAM! |
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| Now it is dancing and skipping over the water, |
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| darting in different directions as it follows the tiny fish. |
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| This is intense and serious business which requires lots of energy. |
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| Ding Darling Wildlife Drive is such a great spot for them to feed - we benefit from observation and they from the food source and the fact that they are safe and away from humanoids. |
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| I would like to know how many of these tiny fishes they consume on a daily basis.... |
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| "he works hard for the feed". |
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| Some little tidbits of information...the dark morph adult in breeding season has shaggy plumes on rufous head, neck. Bill is pink with black tip; legs cobalt blue. Nonbreeding plumage varies, but in general duller, with shorter plumes, darker bill. It inhabits shallow, open salt pans, salt marshes. Wanders along Gulf Coast and we are blessed to see them on a regular basis. |
Loved your pictures of the reddish egret....so comical!
ReplyDeleteAdele
Hi France!
ReplyDeleteI love this bird. I could watch one all day. I have an anecdote about the Reddish--my father (born in 1915
and long since gone) and I watched a white morph doing the "dance" one day, and Dad told me, "They do
that because they are just learning how to fish. They used to be called Cattle Egrets."!! I respected him too much to correct him, but had to stifle my laughter. Even now, when Ken and I watch one, we often
tell each other, "They're just learning how to fish!"
Thanks for the memories(and beautiful pictures)!
Patch Davis
I felt really blessed when I spotted that Reddish Egret and the fact that he was much closer than usual.....such concentration and hard work. Now I smile knowing that it sparked a memory too- glad that it was a loving one. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDelete