great egret

Tag

By Landing Intricacies 

I am in awe as the great egret comes to land on the face of the riprap at the Jordan Lake Dam. I can’t begin to imagine controlling all of those feathers. Some of the flight feathers going in very different directions than the others and yet, all working together to bring the egret safely to the edge of the Haw River. I am sometimes all thumbs with my 10 fingers. I can’t begin to even roughly sketch the multitude of nerves, muscles and tendons needed to put each feather exactly where it should be placed for a perfect landing.

By Crystalline Water Vase

In the moment that I push the shutter button I know probably 95% of what I have just seen and captured. Sometimes, to my great joy, I get home, put the day’s work up on my monitor and get surprised. The great egret dipped for a fish and made a crystalline water vase about its bill and face. Then it shattered the vase and shook all of the water aside so it could try for another fish.

By Yardstick Great Egret

A great egret stands about 3ft tall. That makes this great egret a good example of how deep Jordan Lake got in certain areas during the recent flooding … 216ft is normal pool and where the egret is standing the flooding was at least twice the height of the bird! All of the environment surrounding the egret was underwater at one point and the leaves couldn’t tolerate being under water and most of the plants died.

By Reflection

Jordan Lake. I was working my way through the trees on the shoreline when I came upon this great egret. I asked myself: is the egret interested in his own reflection or more than likely is there a fish on the other side of that reflection.

By Two Colorful Water Birds

Jordan Lake. Foraging together along the shoreline of the lake was a striking pair of birds. One was a very brilliantly white great egret and the other was a very colorful male mallard. The great egret was the first one Captain Doug and I had seen this season.