Success!

As promised I am posting a followup to the egret story from a few days ago where the unfortunate bird lost his fish to a thieving gull. Well…our plucky egret did indeed catch himself another fish! Here we see as he brings his catch out onto the oyster beds. Egrets and herons will often carry a fish out of and away from the water with the idea being that should they drop the fish, and it falls onto land rather then in water, it can’t  swim away.

When first catching his fish the egret appears quite excited, he puffs up his head and back feathers. But it’s not merely the excitement of catching another fish that has our boy all fluffed up, there were still many gulls and pelicans in the area that would be more then happy to relieve the egret of his meal. But as you can see, luck is on his side this time as he  successfully get’s this fish down with no unwanted interference.

Notice also how this egret is displaying breeding plumage. It’s fluffy looking plumes extend out from it’s back beyond it’s tail feathers. It also has the green lores around it’s face which also indicate this bird is in breeding season. 

Egret in Breeding Plumage Fishing

Egret in Breeding Plumage Fishing

Egret in Breeding Plumage Fishing

Egret in Breeding Plumage Fishing

66 thoughts on “Success!”

  15. Nature is beutiful but can be cruel to …. depending from which view you are looking ….
    Anyway, your photos of this egret and the little fish is stunning ! // Maria

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  17. Yeah, I always love the resignation the fish seem to have in so many of the images..last view of the world before down the hatch!! Did you know that Audubon, hunter and woodsman that he was..and scientist…killed a great blue heron along the St John’s River (different time) and upon opening it found an undigested fresh perch. He and his team (except one who refused) cooked and ate it and it was quite fine!!

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    • Yes it is the last look at their former life before heading down the hatch, sad for the little fish.
      I had heard that Audubon killed most of the birds he painted. I would not be eating that perch and can’t imagine describing it as ‘just fine’. 😮 🙂

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      • Audubon put it thus..speaking of the Great Blue Heron: “While on the St John’s River in East Florida, I shot one of these birds, and on opening it on board, found in its stomach a fine perch quite fresh, but of which the head had been cut off. The fish, when cooked, I found excellent, as did Lieutenant Piercy and my assistant Mr. Ward, but Mr. Leehman would not so much as taste it.”

        See it was Excellent!!

        And, yes, while Audubon observed the behavior, habits, movements of birds intently..and drew from life…he did use a grid upon which he placed killed specimens to get the size just right. He insisted on drawing the birds life size and so to fit the larger birds on the double elephant sized paper, the largest available, they were in movements that allowed the bird to fit on the paper. This is one reason the portfolio was so large..and gorgeous. What he achieved was not just detail but a life like fluidity of movement unlike the lifeless static pictures of many others. It was a different time.

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  18. Judy’s story (above) is a bit hard to “swallow”… (not in a disbelieving sort of sense). I think I would have needed to be pretty hungry to eat that perch. Then again, I can’t help but wonder why they were killing and cutting open a heron.

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    • Gunta, In the time Audubon lived the herons and other birds we dont think of as hunting species today,were definitely hunted and eaten. The Snowy Egret in fact was considered a delicacy in some circles back then. Audubon often offered information on which made good eating or not. Audubon experienced things in the most personal of ways such as eating the perch and tasting the birds themselves but he was genuinely interested in anatomy and had a scientific interest as well. In many instances he was describing previously unknown species. He was an artist who documented and observed. I do not actually think it was the food angle which diminished the populations as much as killing the bird for plumes to decorate ladies hats..and of course even then with civilization underway loss of habitat.

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      • Judy, thanks so much for the explanation (I also read your response to Phil). I suspect you’re totally right about the ladies hats (much the same fate for beavers and otters and others). I very much appreciate Audubon’s scientific interest and the information he contributed. Thank you for giving me context for the killing. I still admit to being too squeamish to eat the perch, though! 😀

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    • Yes indeed Andrew the white birds like egrets are tough in bright light. When I am faced with situations where I have egrets and darker birds like pelicans and great blue herons in the same shot, plus the sun going in and out at the same time it can present a real challenge.
      Thanks much for your kind words.

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  26. What brilliant pictures of a gorgeous bird, Phil! Your photos never fail to amaze me and thank you for the interesting information. Lucy will have some great pictures to catch up with when she gets back from Naples on Monday!

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