Feb. 10, 2013 - Snowy Egrets

As part of our winter stay in Florida, Diana and I went to Sanibel Island (near Fort Myers) for a week. One day we were at Blind Pass and a group of Snowy Egrets were fishing along the Gulf Coast. They stood at the edge of the water and snatched up small fish swimming just off shore.

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Here’s one of the Snowy Egrets ready to strike. I’ve never noticed the dark area on the underside of their wings before; perhaps it’s just on this particular bird.

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This egret was chasing another one that got a little too close to its fishing area. The raised head feathers are part of its aggressive display. Snowy Egrets are often said to have “golden slippers” and this photo shows you why.

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At this egret was taking off, its feet were hanging straight down, making them look unusually long.

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This egret successfully caught a small fish. I don’t know what kind of fish it is, so if you do know, please add a comment below and tell us what the egret caught.

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Here’s another egret that just caught its lunch. This time I was lucky to capture some of the water drops thrown off when the bird pulled the fish out of the ocean.

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