Beautiful breeding season plumage on display–the wispy white feathers on their back and the neon green patch near their eye will fade as autumn approaches.
The National Audubon Society was founded to protect these and other water birds who were hunted almost to extinction at the turn of the 20th century. Their feathers were highly prized for women’s fashion, particularly by hat makers. In 1953, Audubon adopted a flying Great Egret as its symbol.
This bird was fishing before he flew-hopped up on this log and began to preen. This picture was taken in mid-July and shows how the green around the eye is greatly diminished as compared to the photo taken in May that’s above it.
I find great egrets challenging to photograph because of the stark whiteness of their feathers. It’s easy to “blow out” the exposure and when that happens, detail is lost. The egrets are slightly overexposed in both of these photos. I’m learning and look forward to posting photos that show off these birds in all their beauty.