— Have you ever taken the time to watch a Great Egret hunting? Well, let me warn you that you may end up not seeing any catch. Once I sat for about 30 minutes and never saw an egret catching anything. Why is that so? The Great Egret, also known as Ardea alba, employs a hunting method called “still hunting.” This involves standing motionless in shallow water, patiently waiting for prey to appear. When an unsuspecting fish, amphibian, or small invertebrate comes within striking distance, the egret swiftly lunges forward, using its long neck and sharp beak to snatch up its meal. This hunting technique allows the great egret to effectively ambush its prey while minimizing unnecessary energy expenditure. The photo above was a lucky moment. I was able to capture that image fairly quickly while visiting the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center in Port Aransas, Texas on a late afternoon near sunset time. Now, take a look at these next photos.
Having watched these birds in several different settings, I know it’s just a matter of time to photograph one of them with a prized meal. One early afternoon, while biking along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, I spotted this Great Egret near my route. It did its usual still hunting with no success at first. Nineteen images later, just like the egret, I got what I wanted. It was most definitely worth my stop. You can even see the lump in the egret’s neck in the last photo. And that, my friends, is why I always carry my camera when I bike.
This post is for Denzil’s Nature Challenge for four-legged birds.
Also for Birds of the Week XLV.
I. J. Khanewala
Lovely photos. With the backlighting that first photo is really beautiful. I love that you captured the splash of water created by the fish in the second photo.
Egídio Leitão
Thank you so much for your feedback. I should try to do more photography when the lighting is good as in the first photo. Thanks again.
Anita
Beautiful photos of this lovely bird Egídio! Patience pays off and the camera is an invaluable companion where ever you go, we never know what is waiting around the corner.
Egídio Leitão
Anita, your words are so true! It was because of that that I ended up buying a bridge camera this year. I can stuff it in my bike pack and have a good zoom range in a small camera. Thank you for your compliment.
Christie
Great captures!
Christie
Egídio Leitão
Thank you, Christie.
boromax
Beautiful! We have egrets in our lakes here in Lubbock, too, of course. I have tried to photograph them a few times, never very successfully. I know you must have said, but what type(s) of camera(s) do you use? ~Ed.
Egídio Leitão
Ed, egrets are difficult to photograph in action. They really tend to stand still for quite some time. For those photos, I was using my Sony camera.
Egídio Leitão
Thank you for your comment.
Rupali
Wonderful captures.
Egídio Leitão
Thank you, Rupali.
Rebecca Cuningham
Love how your photo hunting technique matched the egret’s! Stunning results.
Egídio Leitão
Rebecca, I had not thought about it that way. You are correct. Persistence paid off. Thank you!
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Stupenda. 👍
Egídio Leitão
Grazie mille!
margaret21
I too have witnessed an egret secure a meal. Unlike you, I have no proof. Well done indeed! And yes, I did have my camera with me.
Egídio Leitão
Margaret, they are so hard to capture in action. Thanks for your feedback.
Anne Sandler
You do have patience Egidio and it was worth waiting. Great captures!
Egídio Leitão
Thanks, Anne. You’re very kind. For some things I do have patience.
philosophy through photography
“Patience brings prosperity”
Beautifully explained through your clicks
Both your patience and the patience of egret brought rich dividends😀😀
Lovely clicks!.
Good morning from India. 🇮🇳
Egídio Leitão
Your wisdom is perfect, my friend. Thanks for the compliment and feedback. Good evening from Texas. It’s dinner time now.
philosophy through photography
Thank you.
Have a wonderful dinner time!