But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do …
… and that was winnow down the 50+ shots I took of Great Egrets after a late Summer outing at Lake Erie Metropark. For every Egret shot taken, I was sure the next one would be better than the prior shot, so I kept on clicking. (Thank goodness for digital photography because I nearly went broke in the 80s taking photos with my 35mm camera and using film when you paid for each print, even the boo boos.)
While I rarely look through my photos the same day of the trek, I was excited about those Egrets I saw while on my morning marsh meander, oh yes I was. On the screen, however, some of that magic was lost as I clicked through endless Egret shots … hmm, they all looked the same, except for a few lucky shots of my feathered friends tiring of the paparazzi encroaching on their Sunday morning bliss, so they lifted off and settled into the opposite side of the marsh. Okay, I could take a hint.
You may recall I wrote about a trip to Lake Erie Metropark in the Fall of 2022 and was enthralled with a group of Great Egrets I saw in one of the marshes. There were dozens of them, way too many to count and the sun, not particularly bright due to the gray sky from the western wildfires, caused some stunning reflections on the water. I got several shots before a motorcyclist whizzed by and spooked those Egrets. Most of them took flight, seeking refuge in the tall trees. A few lingered, “fishing” contently alongside their lanky feathered cousins, the Great Blue Herons. Here is that post if you missed it.
I later stumbled upon a website featuring the often-humorous names for groups of birds and/or their offspring and shared the word gulp with you as a term to describe Osprey chicks. So, Egrets similarly have a collection of names to describe a group of these snowy-white birds, including a skewer, siege, sedge, wedge and congregation. So, there’s a little factoid guaranteed to make you look smarter when you see a bunch of Egrets hanging out together. 🙂
Focus on Feathers.
As I compiled today’s post on the heels of my “It was a ducky day!” post, I decided I might just have to classify myself as a “birder” – hmm, when did that happen? I mean, I thought of myself more as a “squirrel girl” (ahem as to the “girl” part). Please don’t let my furry friend Parker know I said that. But it seems the last few years I have been lucky enough to see and photograph more birds than ever before.
Here’s a few more of those beautiful Egrets. Enjoy!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Your photos are marvelous. I loved the pretzel best.
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Thanks Anne – I thought of using it for a Wordless Wednesday with its twisted neck like a knot pretzel, then kept it with the others. They are very beautiful birds.
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They are beautiful birds! And yes, thank goodness for digital photography – even though I need to go through my files and delete the many I don’t need or want anymore. It’s just too easy to keep trying for the perfect shot. I love the one flying over the blue, blue waters but then the pretzel bird is just – somewhere between adorable and cringe worthy??
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They are so graceful aren’t they Zazzy? And, they may look beautiful, but the noises they make are like the Herons, especially when a human interrupts their peace and quiet and they take off. It’s always amazing to me how wide the wingspan is on Egrets and Herons, considering they are such a skinny bird. I could not figure out if pretzel bird was preening or trying to catch an insect in mid-air, but it sure did not look comfortable.
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Again, great shots. Egrets, herons, all those big birds are so magnificent!
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Thank you Kate. They are magnificent looking and when they take off I am always amazed how wide their wingspan is compared to their skinny body.
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Yes, how it is all supported is amazing.
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So here’s another coincidence, Linda (let’s keep the Triscuits to ourselves, shall we?) My wife and I stayed at a place called Egret Point this weekend, and yes, we saw egrets. Wish I’d known to call them a “skewer” or “siege” so I could pretend I was a birder. The ones we saw were just standing around keeping an eye on the nearby marshes, so I appreciate the one photo with the impressive wingspan. Wouldn’t have guessed they’d be so big relative to the slender body.
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Yes, let’s keep a lid on the Triscuits Dave. 🙂 That sounds like a beautiful destination for a weekend getaway. The Egrets are so graceful looking and just like the Great Blue Herons, they take off and you wonder how the wingspan got so wide with a body that weighs only about five pounds soaking wet.
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A great study of flight and form Linda! You must have been so excited to see these Egrets!
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Thank you Wayne! There were Egrets everywhere that day – very few Herons and they (Egrets and Herons) usually hang out together in the marshy areas. Every time I turned around I saw another Egret. They are so graceful looking.
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a skewer, siege, sedge, wedge and congregation This is information that makes me smile. I don’t know when I’ll need it, but I’ll have no regrets about knowing about egrets.
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Good info to have on hand Ally. You never know when it comes up in conversation at a cocktail party, the proverbial water cooler, or at a marsh. 🙂
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Hi Linda. Sorry to have been MIA for the last few weeks. Bill and I have been traveling. Beautiful egret shots!!! I can’t believe how many good ones you got, and to think that these are the best of the best. I love watching them when they are fishing. So still for so long, then BOOM – they strike.
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I thought you two might be traveling Laurie. Hope you enjoyed yourself visiting with family or traveling the country/world. I had a lucky day for photographing egrets … they were really out in full force that day and in so many different poses. They are excellent at fishing, like the Herons – like you I am impressed how they study the water and suddenly there is a wiggling fish in their beak.
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They are magnificent birds! There were trees full of egrets in San Miguel de Allende but I didn’t have a good enough lens on my camera so most of my pictures were pretty disappointing. I see lots of bird photographers around the La Jolla cove here in San Diego. They all have those huge lenses that look like they weigh (and probably cost) a ton.
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They are so graceful in the marsh or in flight – I agree with you Janis. I see those people with lenses as long as their arm taking photos at Lake Erie Metropark … I follow a few local bird photographers on Facebook and with those lenses in their photos I’m sure I can see the eyelashes on some of the waterfowl there.
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Hi Janis – I am unable to post a comment on Marsha’s site after reading your short story. It’s been problematic with WP for a while so at least I can comment here. I loved the story with shades of “Twilight Zone” or “Night Gallery” from back in the day. I was wondering how their evening would end. Max scored more than he anticipated! “Daddy” didn’t play nice at all! I like the character of Max who decided no one would label him a “wuss” – yikes!
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Hi Linda. I’m sorry that you had trouble commenting on Marsha’s site, but I really appreciate you letting me know what you thought about my story! WP has been a bit wonky lately (even more than normal).
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I felt badly I couldn’t comment Janis, but I enjoy all your short stories, especially those with a twist. I am no longer able to comment on anyone’s actual blog site, even if I log out of WP, then log in again and that includes people that I follow. I knew since I don’t follow Marsha, it would likely be problematic for me.
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There’s an excellent selection of Egret photographs here, Linda. Hmmm. The pair is my favorite of the group. I like the organized words that you chose to describe the fellow with its impressive wingspan and dangling feet!
Your love of blogging your journaling of the that day certainly comes to through.
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Thanks TD! I liked that pair too, just standing there companiably gazing in the same direction, still oblivious to me standing there taking their photo. I’m glad you liked this collection of Egret photos. I’m amazed when I see Egrets and Herons and even Seagulls take flight as I wonder how their wings tuck in so compactly, then emerge as wide wingspans. Thank you for saying that about the love of blogging and journaling because I come home the day of each walk and write a rough draft of what I saw that day because the photos may still be there months later, but the enthusiasm for the day and that walk comes through more while fresh in my mind.
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I could feel how peaceful the marsh area may have been with the pair of Egrets.
There is a Great Blue Heron that has gotten use to me looking and chatting with him on the sea wall. Several months ago I noticed that he had a bit of a bloody injury on the top of his right wing. Although he was able to fly just fine, Im sure it hurts and I worried about him. I was able to get a good photo and video of him. I’ve seen him several times and have been watching his injury heal. He is shy of my iPhone. I can stand 4-5 feet away from him and he listens to me chat and watches me watch him.
But as soon as I ask for a photo and raise my iPhone, he flys away. I’m glad that he is healing.
I enjoy your blog!
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It was very peaceful and no other people were around at the time so that helped for the shots as well.
That’s too bad about the Great Blue Heron – hope it is okay and healing. I follow Michigan Duck Rescue & Sanctuary and they rescue waterfowl that are trapped or injured (or even dumped) and take them home to their pond and barn to heal. They have an avian specialist who looks at them and sometimes they just need to have food and water and be in a protected area. It is sad how they get injured sometimes … a duck had been bitten by a snapping turtle and lost a large part of its beak but it healed and was still able to eat.
I have not written much this year about Harry the Heron at Council Point Park. He will stand long periods of time on a cement ledge watching the water for fish. But if I was watching him and he caught sight of me, he left in a flash, squawking all the way.
I am glad you enjoy my blog TD!
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All photos are love. Excellent photography. I much like that the ….
An impressive wingspan with those long legs dangling down.
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Thank you Raj – I am glad you like the photos. These Egrets and Herons may not look like they weigh much, but when they are flying, the wing span is really impressive to see.
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Yes,They nothing weighed but when they are flying,the wing span it’s really impressive last. I like that Tack care!
God blessing!
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I love how you had to ration the number of photos down, that means you had a blast watching them. I’m impressed with the choices you made of which photos to share. My favorite is the one you labeled, “The Egrets in this picture looked regal – they hadn’t seen me yet.” The composition and leading lines are gorgeous. They are interesting birds to watch in flight too. Birds might be easier to photograph since you aren’t feeding them like when you’re with Parker, and clan (what is a bunch of squirrels called?) I’m glad you had fun too, that’s the best part of adventures! Thanks for sharing with us. Plus that Title is so clever too!
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Yes, it was funny Shelley because I wrote this post the day before you did your post on not taking so many photos. 🙂 Well, I kept clicking and clicking, thinking I had so many nice photos, but scrolling through them later, they tended to all look the same – oops! I like that photo of the pair of Egrets too – it seemed like a very peaceful setting with the two of them gazing in the same direction. That is one problem with feeding the squirrels and birds at Council Point Park … if I want to take photos of them, I have to feed them first or they will run up to me, or cluster around me, so yes it complicates taking photos. I have learned to walk the one-mile loop, put peanuts and seeds in the three places, then return, walk it again and take the photos. So I Googled and a bunch of squirrels is called a “scurry” or a “dray” – I thought the dray was their nest – hmm. I can use that newfound info – a scurry scurried toward me. There is lots of begging going on right now as it’s gotten colder and they are anxious to bury peanuts. Glad you liked the title – had a little fun with that too.
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That’s awesome! If you’ve got the SD card space, click away 🤣
That is a perfect solution for the feeding and looping back around to get photos.
I love the scurry scurried toward you – it’ll be a delightful post!!!
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Yes, the squirrels converge on me sometimes and if it rains several days in a row, like it will here the next few days, for sure on the first day back, lots of squirrels coming over for peanuts. The scurry will scurry toward me … I have to remember that for my next all-squirrel post. 🙂
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I’m sure you’ll remember it! 🥰
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This is such an amazing collection of egrets, Linda! Caught in various ways, in flight, flapping wings, feeding, etc! Stunning!
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Thank you Terri! It was an amazing day at the marsh. There were Egrets everywhere and I was lucky to get so many of them taking flight.
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Fabulous collection of photos! I love seeing the dangling legs with its expansive wingspan.
It’s hard to pare down photos but even harder to stop clicking away when you see animals in action. You never know when you’ll get that perfect shot.
Thanks for sharing the factoids about what to call a group of Egret birds and Osprey chicks. How do they come up with those names?!
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Thanks Esther – I had a great day with the Egrets! They were everywhere on my walk. It’s amazing when you see them upright in the marsh as they are so scrawny. They only weigh about five or six pounds, like their cousin the Great Blue Heron – same size, but in flight, those wings just always amaze me how wide their wingspan actually is. Usually the feet are more streamlined and they look aerodynamic … it must have been in a “landing position” … flaps and wheels down. 🙂 Those words are funny to describe groups. “Gulp” was my favorite for the Ospreys.
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hahaha, you’re right…they do look scrawny when they walk with their long black legs in contrast to their white feathers.
I haven’t seen many egrets here where I live. We see a Great Blue Heron here and there.
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They look like a strong wind would blow them over, don’t they? I remember your post with the Great Blue Heron in the middle of a busy street.
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You captured some wonderful pictures Linda, the one with the wingspan going downward is my favorite! Now that our pond (and eaten fish) is filled in with dirt I can look at Egrets and Blue Heron with good feelings. Lol
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Thank you Diane – it was a great day for seeing Egrets as they were everywhere I walked. I liked that photo too as it seemed like it was a much huger bird taking flight – those wings! I can imagine how you felt with the Egrets and Blue Heron and their continual feeding frenzy at your pond. Hope you got some nice photos to keep and remember how nice it was when you had it. It’s like your yard just does not belong to you – the critters must make it THEIR habitat and encroach bigtime!
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So many Great photos! I thought of you recently – the book I am reading has a character that is a bird photographer. He was talking about how birders always have lists – lists of birds that have seen, of birds they want to see, of birds they have seen or want to see in certain locations or situations and on and on. It reminded me of your birdie bucket list. 🙂
Love the title of this post.
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Thank you Ruth! Glad you liked the title. I was having a little fun with that song. It was a fun day with the camera – as I walked along the marshy area, there were Egrets everywhere! I also got some a few Mallards while preening photos and another Wood Duck photo, which I was excited about – so a good day. That sounds like a fun character with his own birdie bucket list. 🙂 Mine has a few new ones to add this year: Eastern Kingbird and Coot. I think that was it for birds so far as the year starts to wind down. For critters I saw the fox and the raccoon and my next post will be about a couple of possums (also something new). I think of the year winding down once the leaves have fallen.
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Hello Squirrel Girl ! lol I love that you called yourself that. Great photos, I do like the egrets, we don’t see them too often here
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Yes I still consider myself a Squirrel Girl, though not as “squirrelly” as my furry friends. 🙂 Glad you liked the Egret shots Susan. I saw a ton of them that day … so I just kept clicking away. I usually don’t get too many “spooked Egrets taking flight” but they were a bit skittish that day. At least they are quieter than the Herons when they take off … you can hear the Herons squawking all over the place.
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Loved these photos, Linda, especially the one with the egrets in flight. They are such graceful waterbirds. The one who identifies as a pretzel is inspiring a good name for a yoga pose. 😉
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Thanks Barbara – it was a fabulous day seeing all those egrets and I usually am not lucky enough to catch them in flight and come home with blurred images. Definitely a good day for egret sightings. The egret who identifies as a pretzel looked very uncomfortable in that pose – it wasn’t preening, so maybe it was the angle where I viewed it. It does sound like the name of a yoga pose. 🙂
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I love the name of those birds. “Egrets” is a word that seems made for use in a limerick. Unfortunately, I cannot come up with anything that rhymes.
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I do too JP – Egret sounds much more elegant than the name of their cousin, the heron.
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