I photographed this Great Egret sneaking through tall vegetation at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. It was trying to catch crayfish, but it wasn’t successful while I was around. I had seen a Great Blue Heron doing the same thing the day before and it caught several.
How I Got The Shot – Great Egret
This Great Egret was at the West Sally Jones Causeway in an area called Dockery Slough which is on the south side of the tour road that goes over the causeway.
I had my Fujifilm X-T3 camera resting on a bean bag draped over the open window of my pickup with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro. I was shooting in aperture priority mode (AV) with a shutter speed of 1/450 of a second at f7.1 and the ISO at 1600. White Balance was set on auto.
Great Egret Facts
- The long neck is a useful adaptation, allowing the birds to have a good view in high grasses.
- It has an average lifespan of 15 years.
- The flying great egret has been adopted by the National Audubon Society as its symbol. Originally formed to preserve the decreasing numbers, the society is now dedicated to the conservation of the environment.
- When it comes to feeding, Great Egrets become rather aggressive, even if there is plenty of food.
- Great Egrets develop long ornamental plumes during breeding season.
- It is America’s second-largest member of the heron family (second only to the Great Blue Heron).