photoartflightReddish Egret In Shadows
I found this Reddish Egret foraging in the water along the Wildlife Drive at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Because the Egret was in the shade, the auto white balance enhanced the dappled sunlight with a warmer golden glow to the spots of sun on the featured image. We actually saw quite a few Reddish Egrets through the Refuge. All images taken with a 400mm DO lens with 1.4x teleconverter on a Canon 7D.
Reddish Egret strolling in sunlight
Reddish Egret Foraging
photoartflight 
Love the lit backgrounds – this is a new bird for me – nice portraits, Reed!
Thanks Eliza! They are fun to watch foraging! They raise their wings as they are darting around, to cast a shadow. Then catch some fish as the fish tend to go in the shadow.
Smart birds!
Oh my my, gorgeous captures, Reed! I’m still looking for this bird for my lifer list, none to be found down in the Everglades. I’m trying to plan a day to Ding Darling in next week or so with a fellow birder. Cross your fingers for me!! 🙂
Thanks Donna! I hope you have a good time at Ding Darling! It is a great place to photograph, but is usually really crowded with crowds of photographers getting the same shots. We tend to walk the Wildlife Drive away from the crowds. You see more birds to photograph. Also if you go down the Wildlife Drive to Cross Dike early in the am, sometimes You see lots of birds in the water along the path. Water is on both sides of the path. Also watch for alligators there sunning in the water or waters edge. Also try to visit the Bailey Tract. It is not in the main area, but off Tarpon Bay Road.
Thank you so much for the tips, Reed! I’ve copied them down for reference. I want to go on a Mon, Tues or Wed, thinking/hoping for lesser people. Seems to be working for me down here at favorite locations of both big-gun photographers and tourists. 🙂
Forgot to say to look in the trees along the Drive. Many times you will see some “hidden” there above the water.
Thanks Reed, I am good at being a tree scanner! 😉
The stroll shot shows a very determined looking bird. They are excellent fisherbirds.
Yes! Plus it is fun to watch them fish, darting around with upraised wings casting a shadow that the fish like to go to. Then they catch them.