EGRETS
You can barely drive a 100 yards in our part of Florida without seeing an egret. These beguiling creatures come in a few species: Great Egret; Snowy Egret; Cattle Egret (also related to the heron); and the hilarious Reddish Egret. There is a special page devoted the Reddish Egret (click here) so, we’ll focus on the other three. Usually, you’ll spy a Great Egret – or 2 or 3 – striking a pose with its long, graceful neck anywhere there’s the possibility of fish or tadpoles.
The Snowy Egret is smaller, with distinctive-looking bright yellow feet. Most times, Snowies can be found near water. They make a comical sight at the shore wherever people are fishing. These little cuties have no fear and try to “take on” the owner of fishing nets for the contents - more than likely, little fish used for bait.
Both species are friendly with and share their space with other birds. It seems impossible to believe now that once, they were almost extinct. At the turn of the 20th century, they were killed for their beautiful feathers – feathers that wound up on, ahem, fashionable ladies’ hats. Hunters turned a huge profit from the massive decimation. Am I glad for the long years of hard work of those selfless conservationists who gave us such a glorious legacy.
While I love them all, the Cattle Egret and Reddish Egret hold a tight squeeze on my heart. Cattle Egrets love insects and follow – you guessed it – cattle and steer to feast on unsuspecting insects. They have distinguishing tan marks on the head, front and back. Although they are originally from Eastern Continents, they can be found in abundance here and have adapted well to our environment. It is our fervent hope that overdevelopment will stop and we can enjoy the hilarious sight of these egrets riding on cows or strutting along the side of the road with their necks gyrating forward and back in an “S” shape. My cartoon idea of them is the cool bird with the earphones listening to “Walk Like an Egyptian”.