I photographed this beautiful great white egret as it stalked its prey along the wildlife loop at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge this past February.
We spotted the bird in the tall grass as we drove thru the loop. I could not have asked for better lighting. It was later in the afternoon, a little past 4:30 p.m., and the winter sun was low enough and angled behind the egret to illuminate its orange beak and trace a highlight line around its feathers. (more photos below)
I followed the egret for as long as I could as it waded through the brush and water.
According to the refuge’s Web site “the Wildlife Loop is a 3¼ mile loop around a moist soil management unit and is a great place to observe wildlife, especially waterfowl and wading birds. It is open to walkers and bikers throughout the day, but vehicles are only permitted to drive on it from 3:00 P.M. till dusk.”
It is definitely one of the better places in the refuge to go birding and take photos.
Below are some secondary photos from the same shoot.
Related articles
- Chincoteague was Misty (roadsendnaturalist.wordpress.com)
- Chincoteague Sunrise (iseebeautyallaround.com)
- A perfect day (jendimond.com)
I See Beauty All Around 