Snowy Egret -- St Pete Beach

All of these photographs of the Snowy Egret were taken
at sunset along St Pete Beach, Florida.
This Egret has one injured leg, but he did fine with it.
We saw him several different days along the edge of the water.

Snowy Egret at St Pete Beach - October 2008

These Snowy Egret photos were taken on St Pete Beach,

when we were there in October 2008.

That trip we saw more than usual of the egret, herons, and pelicans on the beach.

I have been really busy filling greeting cards orders during the last week,

especially people planning for Mother's Day. Sorry for the rushed post here.

Right now I am going to meet some of the ladies at church

for a peaceful lunch before going to work this afternooon.

Reddish Egret, White Morph

These were all taken at the Rookery in the St Augustine Alligator Farm, April 12, 2008.

I was totally confused by this one. Could not find any reference to the black bill, with the red close to the face.

I have 4 reference books now. The Sibley, National Geographic, Peterson, and the Stokes.

I don't use the Peterson and the Stokes very often anymore. But I was struggling with the id on this bird. Finally found it in the Stokes, then can see it in the Sibley, but I don't think it says enough about it for me to ever have found it in the Sibley.

The rookery is awesome, I will be posting some more photographs from the Rookery after I return from vacation. The birds are not in captivity, they just show up there every year. In addition to these Reddish Egret White Morphs I photographed Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, and Great Egrets (if I didn't forget something). The Great Egrets already had babies.

UPDATE: Hap from New Hope has gotten me again. Not a Reddish Egret, White Morph. A breeding Snowy Egret. Hap I need your email so I can use you as a consultant before blundering right in on these hard ones.

Snowy Egret at St Pete Beach

A couple more Snowy Egret, both appear to also be juveniles. Notice those legs.

LOOK at this legs, and I don't just mean the color now. He looks like he broke them both, in relation to how ours bend, that is.

His bill is covered in feathers, and you can see why.

Snowy Egret at Lake Seminole Park

These are photos of a Snowy Egret at Lake Seminole Park, taken October 28, 2008.

This is a juvenile Snowy Egret, notice the legs.

Snowy Egret at St Pete Beach

This Snowy Egret was at the end of St Pete Beach where people go to fish.

He was fishing too, I just didn't capture a photograph in action.

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret landing at John's Pass in Madeira Beach, Florida.