Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets

Driving home from Monterey Bay, we're stuck in traffic driving 20 miles an hour and I see a great egret standing in a field. This is all I could capture before he took off:


I'm guessing that he was thinking something like, "I don't know who this chick with the camera is, but I'm out of here."

Just look at him! The great egret's wingspan is 51 inches. There are three types of egrets in Northern California and the great egret is the only one with black feet.


A few months after moving to California, we were driving home after work and a great egret flew above the car in a blur of white. It happened so fast and only once, until I saw the great egret again, I wondered if I imagined him.

The Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park has a resident snowy egret. He's been there every time I've visited. Here he's hunting minnows.

Every time I see this picture, I start singing in my head, "Walk like an Egyptian." Look at his yellow foot!

In this picture, he's in the process of swallowing a minnow. It was great fun watching him stalk the minnows and stab the water.

If it's possible to hire a bird, this bird is totally on the Golden Gate Park's staff. He appeared in two different ponds, posed for pictures from tourists who failed to respect his space, and took flight several times.

Such a graceful bird. The snowy egret's wingspan is only 41 inches. He's not nearly as imposing as the great egret, but he's quite graceful.

Plus, he has yellow feet.