Birds and Nature

I found this Snowy Egret at Florence River Park last week. This is the first of the year Snowy Egret I have seen. It didn't stay long so likely was just stopping over as it migrates. Birds of North American online provides a wonderful description: "Adults in breeding plumage develop long, delicate plumes forming wispy spray of feathers extending off breast, recurving off lower back (arising from lower scapulars), and forming short, shaggy crest off nape." Click on Read More for more pics SeEtta

  I let my dog Chase out of the car and then realized there was this Snowy Egret less than 50 feet away.  This is likely one of the two Snowy Egrets I had spotted flying earlier in the area. As my area of Colorado is semi arid we have few water bodies or wetlands so we don't see many egrets.  Though Snowy Egrets nest in a few isolated areas in 2 adjacent counties they have not been found nesting in Fremont County.

SnowyEget doing' foot shaking' fishing technique from SeEtta Moss on Vimeo In this brief video clip this Snowy Egret engages in a fish catching technique in which it shakes it foot in the water to stir up fish to catch. It starts just at 11 seconds into the clip and it shakes first one then the other foot several times apparently producing a catch for it which it quickly consumes. It is interesting what techniques various bird species have learned to improve their foraging catch.  SeEtta SnowyEget doing' foot shaking' fishing technique from SeEtta Moss on Vimeo .