Little (Lesser) Egret

[Isac]

#1 - I saw something in the water!

#2 - Is that what I think it is?

#3 - No, just my reflection - time to move on.

[HansE]

I like the unusual viewpoint and detail in #3 You must have been getting a bit close.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day mate

Three excellent images - even if the last one is "a bit arsey"

Phil

[Isac]

I like the unusual viewpoint and detail in #3 You must have been getting a bit close.

I was a bit close Hans, about 5 metres. I snuck up behind bushes and just sat for a minute. I had the camera on silent too.

G'day mate. Three excellent images - even if the last one is "a bit arsey", Phil

Thank you Phil, It's a gorgeous looking bird. I liked the darker exposure so I could get the detail in those really bright white feathers. Even with my own eyes, they always look so smooth and bright and lack detail.
I had to edit the title because my ID of the bird was way off! It's actually a Little or Lesser Egret, which hgasn't been here before - they are normally Great Egrets with the orange bill. Pay to pay attention!

[avkomp]

nice series in breeding plumage. the gape extending under the eye looks to be a great egret to me. has the characteristic green colouring too. little egrets usually have plumes on the head in breeding plumage also and no gape. intermediate egrets have the green and the gape extending to the back of the eye but not usually beyond. bit hard to tell from these pix how far back it goes, but the 2nd pic shows it going back a ways. so I am going for a breeding plumage great egret

[Isac]

I'm now 100% confused Stephen. I cannot find any images of Great Egrets with a black bill and green between the bill and eye, they are always showing an orange bill and more of a bronze colour between the bill and eye.

[kevinj]

Nice set of pics,really like the light,bit dissapointed #3 wasn`t a strike but still nice.

[Isac]

Thanks Kevin. I only included #3 to fit the story - I would have like it to fly towards me or get a side on shot but just didn't happen. I yelled out for it to come back but it ignored me.

[avkomp]

I'm now 100% confused Stephen. I cannot find any images of Great Egrets with a black bill and green between the bill and eye, they are always showing an orange bill and more of a bronze colour between the bill and eye.
without wishing to hijack the thread, I have 2 great egret portraits here that show breeding and non breeding colourings:
]
non breeding plumage but starting to change
and this guy:

and this guy in breeding colours.
things to note are firstly the kink in the neck, notice that the kink is there in both shots.
the gape in front and below eye always extends behind the eye to a point. the gape goes more greenish at breeding time.
the bill goes more black in breeding plumage with turquoise edges.

hope that helps

[Isac]

Thanks Stephen. I did a bit more research and agree that my egret is in fact a Great Egret and in breeding plumage. Lovely photos BTW. I have a program on my PC which will automatically change my Little Egret filenames to Great Egret. Cheers.