Tag Archives: Cattle Egret
Actually, the first day was completely overcast, quite chilly and very windy – but beautiful nonetheless! We were treated to sightings of many of the Merritt Island ‘regulars’, only a few of which are pictured here. White Ibis and Cattle Egrets like those above were ubiquitous, and groups of Roseate Spoonbills gathered in the shallow, […]
Cattle Egrets are generally rather non-descript little egrets, but their color transformation at this time of year is astonishing!Most remarkable is the way their plain orange-y beaks turn a striking, deep reddish-orange, with vivid purple lores around their eyes!The Cattle Egret’s breeding plumage also highlights their beautiful peach feathers, and they often appear to be wearing spiked […]
These two young Cattle Egrets above are looking quite debonair, with their sleek feathers and mini-crew cuts. In the early weeks of their lives “both parents feed the young by regurgitation. Young begin to climb about near nest after 15-20 days, begin to fly at 25-30 days, and become independent at about 45 days.” (Audubon.org, Cattle Egret)At this […]
As the nesting season draws to a close, and the migratory birds have returned to their summer homes, we see fewer and fewer of our ‘regulars’ like the Great Blue Herons and Wood Storks here in the preserves. Some of the juveniles and a few baby birds, like the Night Herons, Cattle Egrets, and Common Moorhens (Gallinules) still remain, […]
I blogged last week about the Cattle Egret’s colorful transformation – here’s another look, above. This post includes a few more examples of how striking some of the other wetland birds look in March. This young Roseate Spoonbill is one of the all-time favorites. Although I’m not sure they are nesting in our area now, […]
This past week, there was so much activity in our local wetland preserves that I decided to share just a few of my favorites. One highlight was the funny little Great Blue Heron chick featured above, one of several who have not yet fledged. The nesting Great Egrets that I posted about a few days […]
The birds in our local wetlands are in their glory at this time of year. And so are the birdwatchers!! Like the Great Egret I included in last week’s post, nearly everyone is in breeding colors, and there are birds of every type and size nesting in all the trees! Some are extremely close to the […]
In addition to the huge White Stork above, there were a dozen White Ibis, several Great Egrets, and a host of others sloshing around in one small marshy spot yesterday morning. Must have been some tasty breakfast snacks available.They were literally lined up on the boardwalk railings, and kept taking turns flying in and out […]
The other morning was the chilliest so far this fall, and completely overcast, with occasional drizzle, so I wasn’t sure I’d see much on my walk. But I was delighted to encounter several of my favorite bird friends! The Wood Stork featured above was foraging among the marsh grasses, when he suddenly leapt up and made a […]
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