This Great Egret has made a nearby marsh his summer home. Central Nova Scotia is at the northernmost tip of their range, so it’s a rare treat to see one close to my home. I ventured out today in hopes of seeing him and was rewarded with an opportunity to observe him actively hunting in the small ponds of Lawrencetown Beach marsh.
Skilled fishers, great egrets, move smoothly through tall marsh grasses and shallow waters looking for their next meal. I’ve photographed them in Florida, but this was my first opportunity to photograph one in Nova Scotia.
At the waters edge, he pauses as minnows flit past. This great egret was doing quite well at fishing the whole time I photographed him.
Watching the Great Egret light effortlessly off the marsh on powerful white wings was a treat. His mighty wings carried him upward and across the marsh to his next fishing spot.
I photographed this Great Egret in the Florida Everglades in 2007, while I attended a Master Artist Workshop with John Seerey-Lester. While there I had the opportunity to explore the everglades photographing a myriad of birds and wildlife, from pink spoonbills to the oh so tiny Key Deer.
They remind me a lot of the great blue heron.