“He Thinks He’s So Big And Tough”
This morning I was amused to see these two snowy egrets standing quietly in the salt marsh during low tide as a great blue heron marched by in front of them. The poor little snowys were doing their best trying to look confident and self-assured as the much larger heron strolled along…but I thought they looked just a bit nervous and intimidated. The blue heron of course pays them no mind as he has the important business of catching fish to occupy his attention and the snowys are no competition for this big guy!
Phil Lanoue Photography 
They are so cute! 😉
Yes they are quite cute, thanks for looking! 🙂
Great photos of these herons!
Well done!
Thank you Hans I appreciate it!
That’s funny
It was pretty funny, that GBH had some attitude. I was watching him fishing right after this but some loud annoying family came by and spooked him. 😦
How beautiful they are with their feathers blowing in the wind. Great photos!
It was super windy out there today! I saw one egret get blown completely sideways at one point when it was trying to fly along.
Thanks a lot Molly!
Love those cute snowys, but Mr GBH is my all time favourite. Thanks for keep giving me my fix of water birds, Phil. I’ll just about survive on your pics until I get back to Florida. 🙂
I will do my best to supply you with ‘down home’ photos of your favorites that I know you miss Sylvia. 🙂
Lol they do look a little nervous. Wonderful captures Phil.
Yes they look like they are thinking…’if we stay still he will just continue on his way and not even notice us.’
And hey it worked!
Thanks Edith!
The one on the right looks like he’s slowly inching over to the other…!
Yeah he looks to be the more nervous one of the pair. 🙂
I love the title of this post – I may have to steal it and use when I’m blogging about Ted (who thinks he’s big and bad but stops short of 2 feet when he ‘escapes’ out the front door). The egrets look so peeved in the first photo – great shots!
Thanks a bunch Megan! Sounds like a good title for Ted’s next post since we know he is such a rebel!
So what do you think Joe? If we stand really, really still, think he’ll notice us?
Ha ha yup, that sounds about right! Thanks Emily!
Beautiful…. so beautiful. He is really big, 🙂 Thanks and Love, nia
Thanks very much Nia and yes he sure is a big boy!
Well at least the Snowys are prettier than the big Heron, even if a bit intimidated. No need to hang their heads. Beautiful shots Phil.
Well the heron may disagree with who the pretty boy is out there but those snowys are sure cute!
Thanks so much.
Phil I didn’t realise the snowies were so little – with all their posturing and squabbling I thought they’d be bigger! They look very sheepish here when faced with the magnificent heron. Beautiful shots.
It’s funny, when I see them out going about their business fussing and fishing, I don’t really think of them as being all that little. But when put against a big boy like this heron they do look quite small. That’s a large part of why I posted this, I liked showing the size difference.
Thanks very much for looking Lucy!
I think there are a couple of things going on in these shots to put them in…diminutive light. 😉 For one, you have perspective….the heron is closer, and with the angle of the lens, the egrets look a bit shrunken relative to how large they probably really are. On top of that, the egrets have their heads pulled in, where as the heron has his neck fully stretched out. That further puts the egrets at an apparent size disadvantage. In general, while snowy egrets are definitely smaller birds, they don’t usually appear quite so tiny compared to a GBH.
It would be interesting to know how the heron did they day related to fishing. You storys and information are such fun.
If I remember correctly the heron did not end up making out too well on his fishing. I think nobody did particularly well. Some days the tide brings in lots of fish other days almost nothing. It’s a tough life out there for a bird sometimes.
Glad you enjoy the pics and info!
They do have a wonderfully sheepish look to them the snowies. Nicely observed, Phil.
Thanks Andrew and those snowys have a way of being entertaining and comical even when doing practically nothing.
Excellent job Phil, funny, the snowy’s are very tiny compared to the Great Blue. 😉
Yes that great blue is the head bird of the marsh, although he sometimes lets the pelicans push him around and I don’t know why he puts up with it. I have seen these herons stand up to an alligator. Not too smart to do that though.
The reflections of the grass create a nice repetition of the egrets’ legs. Another great series!
Well thanks very much I appreciate that!
Having seen the snowys showing off and posturing in previous pics, it is funny to see them apparently so intimidated by the stately heron. They do know their place, after all!
Those snowys are endlessly entertaining, even when they seem to be just standing around they always seem like they are just about to do something wacky! Thanks Maggie!
Love this series Phil. Excellent.
I’m very happy you enjoyed this Adrian, thanks!
That big bill is a BIG weapon. Have you ever seen a GBH or Great Egret go after a smaller bird with its bill? Just curious, whether they try to threaten other species that way.
I have seen them intimidate great egrets and have seen them stand up to a bald eagle (the eagle will usually win that) but I’m surprised they are not even more aggressive. They are powerful birds and could do some serious damage with that large sharp bill. I would not want to be standing next to one that was really mad at me.
Ahh, the snowy’s should give him a break..he’s just a kid!
The snowys were likely not as impressed with the great blue’s strutting as he might think. But so it goes with the GBHs, they always like to feel like they are in charge.
Actually I’ve always perceived the snowy’s with their punk spiky hair do’s as the strutters and the Great blues as just naturally impressive with their size and elegance!! But, tiz fun to see those expressions caught by your camera!! Wonder what they really think?
Your shots are amazing… and I love the humor too! Birds expressions can be so hilarious!
Thanks a lot for looking and commenting and I agree, the birds can be quite entertaining!
This series is hilarious! Truly! I’ve felt like those egrets a time or two in my life. I wonder if they’d like to stick a foot out and trip that bad boy? 😉
They should try sticking out a foot, it could work! 🙂 That heron looks like he is not paying attention to anything but his own wonderfulness.
I love these shots, especially seeing the closeup detail of the heron! WOW!
Hey thanks! Glad you liked these including our handsome blue heron!