The Reddish Egret Show
The Reddish Egret is one of the most popular birds at Fort De Soto, and it’s no wonder why. It’s unique appearance and active foraging behavior is absolutely fascinating. As it searches for prey in shallow water it erratically runs, hops, stirs the sand with its feet, and flicks its wings to improve maneuverability and shade the water so it can better see its prey. These behaviors were evident in the immature Reddish Egret I found at De Soto over the weekend. Interestingly, the plumage of the juvenile Reddish lacks the cinnamon-colored neck feathers seen in the adult. As you can see in these photos, the bird is nearly all pale gray with a few patches of chestnut feathers coming in on the head, neck, and along the wings.
Reddish Egret, juvenile. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,2500 sec, ISO 640.
Reddish Egret, juvenile. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,2500 sec, ISO 640.
Reddish Egret, juvenile. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,2500 sec, ISO 640.
After a few minutes with the juvenile, an adult Reddish Egret flew in. The young bird approached the adult but the adult was not having any of it and showed aggression towards to the young bird. The young bird got the message and kept a respectful distance from the adult. The adult then settled in and immediately began to hunt.
Reddish Egret. The adult with a raised crest to warn the nearby young bird. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,2500 sec, ISO 1000.
Adult Reddish Egret chasing juvenile away. It’s too bad they didn’t run towards me, but that’s how it goes with wildlife. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,2500 sec, ISO 1000.
Reddish Egret in a classic foraging pose. The Reddish using its wings to aid in visibility and maneuverability. This adult is also in full breeding plumage, as exhibited by its two-toned bill (it’s all black when non-breeding) and the sides and back of the legs are bluish-gray. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/7.1, 1,3200 sec, ISO 1250.
Reddish Egret striking the water. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,2000 sec, ISO 1000.
Reddish Egret coming up empty. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1,3200 sec, ISO 1000.
