Figure 1 – Snow egret, Kennebunkport, Maine. (c) DE Wolf 2015.

We had just reached our vacation destination and stopped for lunch.  My son called me to take a look and there in the mudflats of the inlet was a beautiful snowy egret – Egretta thula. They are beautiful both in their wedding white plumage and in the way that they stealthily walk on the hunt. Needless-to-say I had not brought my big lens; so I had to be content with my 70 to 200 mm. the narrow heads and tiny eyes present a challenge, and the image of Figure 1 took a bit of processing to get it right.  But I like the white bird contrasted against the brown mud, the pure symmetry of its reflection, and also the little bubbles on the surface of the sand.

Beyond any doubt the snowy egret is one of the most elegant of the herons. It’s plumage is truly immaculate, quite a feat for a mud walker. But, of course, for a water bird feather care is essential for survival. At one time the elegant plumes were in high demand for ladies’ hats and fetched huge sums. As a result, the snowy was almost driven to extinction. Fortunately, in the early twentieth century, conservations managed to get legislation to protect this bird and it has made a wonderful comeback in eastern United States coastal waters. Like all herons there is something gloriously prehistoric in their design and locomotion.

Canon T2i with EF70-200mm f/4L USM lens at 200 mm, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority AE mode 1/2000th sec at f/8.0 with no exposure compensation.