Tag Archives: Great Egret

A Summer Surprise

For various reasons: vacation and a major flood being the primary ones, I haven’t posted for a month. This morning, I was standing in our neighbors’ backyard as the dogs played and suddenly noticed this big white bird at the river. Of course, my camera and binoculars were elsewhere but I retrieved them and photographed this cooperative Great Egret.

Very unusual bird for this part of Vermont – first one I’ve seen.

No sooner had I taken a few shots when in swoops the local Great Blue Heron and both birds flew. Here’s a pre-flood shot I took – it was nice to see him back.

Later, I saw both birds together downstream and chasing one another. Some birder friends and I watched the egret fishing contentedly a little later in the morning.

It was a nice Friday morning surprise and we hope our white friend will stick around for a bit.

An Afternoon Surprise

Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting out back near the river reading in the shade, with Ginger on my lap. I was missing seeing the inquisitive Common Yellowthroats and aerobatic Eastern Kingbirds, and many others — it was bittersweet to realize that most of our summer birds are suddenly gone.

Movement caught my eye and two large birds languidly flew upstream, right in front of me. A Great Blue Heron and what — a Great Egret, passed by side by side, circled to fly back down stream leaving me surprised to say the least. While I see Great Egrets elsewhere, I’ve never seen one here — and especially accompanied by a heron who decided to peel of and perch in a big White Pine. The egret landed just upstream.

I had no camera with me but I gathered the dog, jogged up to the house, grabbed my Canon and returned — and took a few photos. I suspect both birds are on their way south today but that last look was very special.