Divine Instincts
I really enjoy watching most of nature interact with one another. I say most because, while I enjoy observing a pelican dive into the ocean for a meal, I have to turn my head if a lion is about to catch and devour a gazelle. It all is our Creator’s plan but some is definitely more palatable to me. I surely do enjoy observing water birds and other fowl. Of course, I have my favorites like the Great Blue Heron, egrets of various types, white ibis and at the top of my current list is the Roseate Spoonbill. Having moved to Florida certainly has enhanced my birding opportunities and increased my observing much more water fowl. Today’s outing brought me close to a handsome Snowy Egret…all alone on a canal in south Florida. I think they are beautiful birds adorned in their mating plumage. They are very stylishly striking with their bright yellow feet and some on their legs. But those “high-end slippers” are not just pretty…they are very functional as well. The Snowy Egret is the smallest of the heron/egret family averaging about 2 feet tall compared to the Great Egret at nearly 40 inches tall. But the Snowy’s smaller size enables him to move more quickly in the water and therefore grab some grub more easily. The next time you have the chance to observe an egret in a marsh or wetland, watch the movement of their feet in the water. They swish their feet around stirring up what might be below the surface for catching and eating. Once the menu item surfaces, he’s quick as lightening to grab it and down the hatch! So again, we can see that sometimes LESS IS...
Read MoreSpear Fishing, Anyone?
The Snowy Egret is a medium size wading bird, a bit smaller than the Great Egret. Their smaller size enables them to fly more rapidly than the Great Egret and can maneuver more skillfully. They’re similar in appearance, but the Snowies have long, flowing plumes on the head, neck and back during breeding season. They are quite graceful in flight and in their walk. Snowy egrets live and feed in marshes, low coastlines, and tidal flats. They are skilled in foraging for the big catch sometimes flying over the water watching below or skillfully walking in the water in pursuit of the feast. Unlike other wading birds like the Great Egret or herons which wait quietly for their catch, the Snowy Egrets are out actively hunting, moving about in the water stirring it up. Their sharp bills make them accomplished spear fishermen for they rarely go hungry. So, if spear fishing is your sport, buddy up with a Snowy Egret for the...
Read More
What's Your Passion?
National Audubon Society
Help support the efforts of our National Audubon Society in conservation of natural bird habitats. Visit: www.birds.audubon.org