Tag Archives: egret

Egrets

How about some photos of egrets?  They aren’t rare and they all look pretty similar but they are still an interesting looking bird and, since they like to hunt in the shallows, they end up being pretty close and therefore accessible to shoot.  I have shot a bunch of them while waiting for something else and, occasionally, specifically because they were there.  Here are a few of the more recent shots I have got.

Egrets in Hayward

AU0E9952.jpgThe marsh areas along the shore of San Francisco Bay in Hayward are a popular spot for birds. Egrets are certainly a common bird in this area so seeing some of them while walking along the trails in the area was no surprise. I was interested to see how close you could get without disturbing them. The area is popular with people so they probably are relatively used to having people around. Even so, I did not want to cause them any disturbance. As it was, they seemed far more focused on whatever they were going to eat next than they were of me.

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Egret in Balboa

AU0E4130.jpgSome animals seem to like attention. Even when they are supposed to be afraid of humans, they end up being the center of attention. Such was the case with an egret that was standing in the water in Balboa Park. At first I thought it was a plastic model but, once it started moving, it was clearly real. Everyone was distracted by it. Some kids were keen to get their hands on it but the parents seemed to do just enough to stop it getting spooked which was quite surprising.

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I assume it was attracted to the fish living in the water feature. However, they seemed to be wise enough to stay away. Whether it got any food or not, I don’t know. It stayed around for quite a while and I left first. When I came back, it was gone. Whether it was bored or knew of a better lunch spot, I shall never know.

Hunting Egrets

wpid8845-C59F5370.jpgThey were hunting – not me!  I was hunting too but it was a plane I was after.  However, since there was time before the plane arrived, I was able to watch a pair of egrets busily feeding.  They are hungry birds!  They didn’t always catch something but their success rate was high and then it was straight back to the next fish.

wpid8841-C59F5344.jpgWatching them stalk through the shallows and then strike at their target was a lot of fun.  The speed of the entry is impressive and then to see the fish in their mouth before it is swallowed is a sign of a job well done.  With the water so calm, they also made for some very symmetrical shots.