EGRETS
Egrets are beautiful larger white birds that are somewhat common in Colorado. In fact, most of these photos are from along the South Platte River in the Denver metro area. They are in the family Ardeidae and to me are photogenically elegant, particularly the prevalent white Snowy Egret, To view the entire photo gallery of Egrets, please click here.
EGRETS Posing
All of the egrets shown below are Snowy Egrets, which are much more common in Colorado than the Great Egret. They have beautiful white feathers and bright yellow feet. They frequent rivers, marshy areas and lagoons. They fly low to the ground and are not swimmers. I have seen them eat crawdads, small fish and even frogs.
I have rarely seen an egret in Sterne Lake in Littleton, Colorado but one day this Snowy Egret appeared and basically “performed” for me, posing like a model would. It then took a bow at the end!
Snowy Egret in black and White taking a bow after performing for me at Sterne Lake!
Snowy Egret in black and white appearing to be shy at Sterne Lake
Snowy Egret standing in the S. Platte River on a Fall day full of reflections
Snowy Egret caught between the shadows of safety in a small lake
Egrets will often stretch their neck and wings before they fish or fly off
egret fishing
Egrets primarily eat fish. But every once in awhile if htey’re hungry they’ll eat whatever is near them as you’ll see below.
Fishing Sequence #1
Snowy Egret caught a minnow and held it, tossed it, and ate it!
Snowy Egret holding a minnow by its tail
Snowy Egret tosses a minnow in the air before catching it and swallowing it
Fishing Sequence #2
This Snowy Egret below was frolicking and fishing on a small portion of falls on the South Platte River in Littleton.
Snowy Egret stands proudly in the South Platte River with reflected colors in background looking for the catch of the day
Snowy Egret stands on rock in the South Platte River in Colorado
Snowy Egret jumps to rock in South Platte River with beautiful green reflection in the river
Snowy Egret jumps off rock in the South Platte River in Colorado
Snowy Egret catches a fish with its bill in the South Platte River in Colorado
Close-up of Snowy Egret proudly displaying a fish it caught in its bill on the South Platte River in Littleton, Colorado
Snowy Egret catches fish in its bill on the South Platte River in Colorado
Fishing Sequence #3
Egrets will occasionally grab a frog and even a dragonfly to eat!
This dragonfly kept buzzing around this Snowy Egret, annoying it to no end until the Egret had enough
Snowy Egret catches a frog on its bill. Egrets do indeed eat frogs when the cannot find enough fish. From a lagoon in South Platte Park, Colorado
Egrets in Flight
Egrets have an elegant flight method to them with their restrained flapping and starkly white feathers. Below are images of various Snowy Egrets in flight.
Snowy Egret in flight over reflections in a lake
Snowy Egret in flight over blue water
Snowy Egret in flight against a blue sky
Snowy egret in black and white with reflection over lake
Black and white Snowy Egret in flight with reflection at Sterne Park in Littleton, Colorado
Black and white image of Snowy Egret about ot land on rock at Sterne Park in Littleton, Colorado
Black and white image of two male Snowy Egrets vying for the same territory to impress a female Snowy Egret in Sterne Park in Littleton, Colorado
Black and white image of Snowy Egret flying low over lagoon in South Plate Park in Colorado
Snowy Egret glides across lagoon with green foliage reflection in Colorado
White Snowy Egret flies across a lagoon in contrast to dark water in a lagoon at South Platte Park in Colorado
Snowy Egret flies across lagoon at Inverness Office Park near Denver, Colorado
egrets and other species
Egrets are typically docile creatures who seem to tolerate other bird species well as seen in these examples.
Snowy Egret standing over a male Wood Duck. There is also a goose in back of them.
Here a Black-Crowned Night Heron, a Snowy Egret, and a Great Blue Heron all scout a fishing hole on some rocks.
Snowy Egret stands in water watching a flock of Red-Breasted Merganser ducks swim by
egrets-Miscellaneous
Below is an image of a very difficult egret that was hiding among the cypress trees of the Caddo Lake Bayou in Texas
Likely a Great Egret in Caddo Lake, Texas that was hiding among the cypress trees of this bayou
Gallery
To view the entire photo gallery of all my Egret images, please click here.