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Tom Kitten

(7,339 posts)
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 05:20 AM Sep 2014

The Snowy Egret

A few months ago I was house sitting in Santa Ana CA and not far from where I was staying was a kind of "natural" area, the Lower Santiago Creek (pretty much a dry flood control basin with sections paved, used for parking cars, but I go on). However there is a place where a spring flows from a concrete culvert and there is water there year round, if only a few inches deep. This isn't a great photo, but you'll get the picture of where I'm talking about...


I didn't notice it at all but you can see it in the water, a snowy egret! Now I have never seen one before, they do not live in Oregon, and when I saw it I gasped (but not too loudly, I didn't want to scare it away!) I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful bird. I was maybe ten feet away, and it didn't seem to mind me being there, it just went on feeding, ignoring me! So I took some pictures and that bird made the place seem a bit magical to me, even though there was trash strewn about, auto traffic, etc. So here are some shots I took...

























If you're interested I also shot a 2 and a half minute video so you can see how it hunts for food, Also, you can hear the auto traffic nearby (it was evening rush hour and near sundown, hence the nice colors)...

http://vid128.photobucket.com/albums/p195/baronius/snowy%20egret/snowyegret_zps84f5ebf0.mp4

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Snowy Egret (Original Post) Tom Kitten Sep 2014 OP
My dear Tom Kitten! CaliforniaPeggy Sep 2014 #1
Hi Peggy & thank you for the compliments! Tom Kitten Sep 2014 #12
One of my favorite things since moving to Florida is our diversity of fowl. Fuddnik Sep 2014 #2
What an unexpected treat! mnhtnbb Sep 2014 #3
Beautiful bird. lovemydog Sep 2014 #4
Great pics joshdawg Sep 2014 #5
Great pictures, Tom. brer cat Sep 2014 #6
Great pics! NV Whino Sep 2014 #7
Egrets are such beautiful birds, Blue_In_AK Sep 2014 #8
Your pictures are beautiful! locks Sep 2014 #9
Egrets! I've had a fewwwww... Old Crow Sep 2014 #10
Special oldandhappy Sep 2014 #11
I can't believe it Tom Kitten Sep 2014 #13
you got a gift from Nature irisblue Sep 2014 #15
Wow! Celebration Sep 2014 #14
Beautiful! The pics just got lovelier as I scrolled Ilsa Sep 2014 #16
These are so beautiful Mz Pip Sep 2014 #17
Wonderful! Solly Mack Sep 2014 #18

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,296 posts)
1. My dear Tom Kitten!
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 05:31 AM
Sep 2014

Oh, these are wonderful pictures! You just never know when you'll see something so beautiful.

And this snowy egret is certainly that. Your fifth picture from the top is quite magical! Of course, all of them are beautiful, but that one really caught my eye...

I also enjoyed watching your video! It's very cool watching the bird stir up the muck in the pond as it looked for things to eat. Does it eat fish? There seemed to be plenty of things to munch on.

Thanks for sharing your work!

Tom Kitten

(7,339 posts)
12. Hi Peggy & thank you for the compliments!
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:50 PM
Sep 2014

Yes that picture (I think you mean the one with the orangy tree reflection that NV Whino also likes) is my favorite also. It's great how just a small amount of water can act as a mirror - plus the sunset colors really transformed the place, and for awhile I imagined myself in the Okefenokee or someplace similar instead of Orange County suburbia with three freeways a few blocks away!

I know they eat fish, probably small ones (the bird was about the size of a basketball) but that pool most probably didn't have fish. It was probably eating water insects, maybe freshwater shrimp (they live in vernal pools in SoCal), or maybe polliwogs!

By the way, I will be returning down there in a few months and staying a couple of months. Maybe I'll see you taking photos sometime!

Fuddnik

(8,846 posts)
2. One of my favorite things since moving to Florida is our diversity of fowl.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 06:50 AM
Sep 2014

We have egrets all over the place. And Ibus (es), curlew, spoonbills, sandhill cranes, swallow tailed kites, and the second largest population of bald eagles in the US. Love 'em all.

The sandhill cranes are about 5'tall, and a couple of months ago, about a dozen adults, and their babies were were hanging around where I work on a golf course.Adults are always around, but you don't see the puppies that often.

mnhtnbb

(31,318 posts)
3. What an unexpected treat!
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 06:53 AM
Sep 2014

Isn't it fun to find such a beautiful bird--and have it ignore you--when not expected?

Thanks for posting the photos and video.

locks

(2,012 posts)
9. Your pictures are beautiful!
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 06:22 PM
Sep 2014

The egrets are everywhere in Florida and Louisiana but it's a thrill for Coloradans to get to see the dozen or so who migrate through every summer and stay a while.

Old Crow

(2,212 posts)
10. Egrets! I've had a fewwwww...
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:24 PM
Sep 2014

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Great photos and a fascinating video. It was really interesting to see how the bird agitated the bottom of the stream with its feet. It's wonderful, too, that this bird was willing to hang out with you, without fear, and go about its business. It must've been a magical experience. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Tom Kitten

(7,339 posts)
13. I can't believe it
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:56 PM
Sep 2014

I posted this late this morning before I went to bed, come back this evening and it's on the front page! My most successful post ever!

Thank you everybody for such wonderful comments! I'm on cloud 9.

I'll post more of some photos I took on my travels later...OK?

Ilsa

(61,675 posts)
16. Beautiful! The pics just got lovelier as I scrolled
Thu Sep 18, 2014, 06:55 AM
Sep 2014

down. Lowered my blood pressure, too.

Birds are awesome. We love to watch them. Even in a congested environment they survive and make life better.

Thank you for sharing.

Mz Pip

(27,403 posts)
17. These are so beautiful
Fri Sep 19, 2014, 12:05 PM
Sep 2014

The sixth and the twelfth are my favorites. Impressionist's heaven IMHO. Just wonderful.

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