Finally taking
our friends advice, Marianna and I visited the Everglades last week. Can't believe it took us quite as long as it did to make the trek beyond US1 but I am so very glad we did!
We got so involved with looking at everything - Anhingas in breeding plummage, Great Blue Herons, Little Blues, even a Night Heron, and let's not forget the ALLIGATORS - that we were not too upset when the memory card filled up too soon and we found that the second card was back in the truck. More time for looking and less distraction from cameras, which were very, very distracting.
Visiting the Everglades during the week is one way to avoid the school kid crowd but not the Birding Crowd! Oh no, the birders were out in fine camo-khaki plummage to walk the 4 foot wide paved trail and elevated board walks. Monstrous cameras on tri- or heaven forbid, mono-pods were swung about in blatant disregard for life, limb and entanglement with the other pods in the excitement of having an endangered Wood Stork walk by 3 ft away. The funniest part of it all was the birder who'd keep shushing everyone and then press her digital camera's button which was set for a very loud and annoying *
chirrup*. Marianna and I couldn't help giggling!
To return to that all caps word above, the alligators were tremendous! Marianna was in reptile heaven, she even told me she could live in the Everglades, she felt so at home. I, on the other hand, will never feel comfy looking down at an estimated 17 foot long bull dozing in the afternoon sun.
Notes on the Snowy Egret by Marianna
Egretta thula
The Snowy Egret can be distinguished from the great Egret by its size being relatively smaller. It has a black beak, legs, and yellow feet are also differences between the two Egrets. During breeding season the Snowy Egret grows long thin feathers. The males usually group together with their heads pointing to the air calling, or they will fly in circles then suddenly tumble almost to the ground to attract a female. The male will pass the female twigs to build the nest. The nest is often located either on the ground to eight feet high. Three weeks later the eggs hatch. The baby birds grow till they start to flap and walk around the nest. A little while later the parents perch on the branches holding the nest when they feed the chicks. Thirty days later the chicks have grown their permanent wings they are ready to learn to fly, hunt, and survive.