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Snowy Egret


Snowy Egret
Photo Information
Copyright: Manyee Desandies (manyee) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3067 W: 231 N: 6168] (21078)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-04-21
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon Powershot S1-IS
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-04-27 3:41
Viewed: 1000
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
In the neighboring town of Palo Alto (of Stanford University fame), there is a marshland reserve with a rookery where a multitude of herons and egrets make their nests amidst the fronds of huge palm trees.

This is a snowy egret in full breeding plumage.

Snowy Egret
Egretta thula

Aigrette neigeuse (French)
Garceta pie-dorado, Garza chusmita, Garza nivea (Spanish)

These delicate, agile birds often feed by sprinting rapidly through shallow water, chasing schools of minnows and shrimp. This habit makes them easy to identify without seeing their bills and feet. Often several Snowies will be found feeding together, and it is thought that their white color, visible at great distances, lets other birds know where the feeding is good; the sprinting behavior also attracts other birds that then join in the feast. There is evidence that members of a pair of Snowy Egrets, like other large waders, cannot recognize one another except at the nest. Even there, a bird arriving to relieve its mate must perform an elaborate greeting ceremony in order to avoid being attacked as an intruder. During this display the plumes on the head are raised and the incoming bird bows to the one that is sitting. Appeased by this display, the sitting bird leaves and the other takes over.

Description 20-27" (51-69 cm). W. 3'2" (97 cm). A small, delicate white heron with a slender black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. In breeding season, it has long lacy plumes on its head, neck, and back. Immature bird similar to adult, but lacks plumes and has yellow stripe up back of leg. Adult Cattle Egret has pale bill, legs, and feet; immature has dark bill, legs, and feet. Much larger Great Egret has yellow bill and black legs and feet. Similar to immature of less common Little Blue Heron, but that species has a stouter, bluish-gray bill, greenish-yellow legs and feet, no yellow skin between eyes and base of bill.

Source
valy67, dew77, coasties, Janice, magal, viv, jmp, elefantino, loot, scottevers7, cecilia, pauljk, cruize, firelord, Luc has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

What a beautiful bird, pure white and so elegant ! I love his pose, it looks very concentrated on something on the floor, seems like he was going to catch something. Good sharpness and details, nice natural colors and nice composition. Well done !
Valérie.

Hi Manyee

Excellent capture. Lovely exposure. Good pose from your model. Nice clear details. Well done. Thanks.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-04-27 4:57]

Manyee, what beautiful feathers this fellow has. Quite a wonderful composition showing him off so well. Good one,
Janice

  • Great 
  • magal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 224 W: 0 N: 313] (1241)
  • [2006-04-27 5:02]

Hi MANYEE,
Very beautiful and elegant bird.I particularly like the contrast it presents with the surroundings - brilliant capture. Sharpness, POV,DOF, lighting, colours....USUAL PERFECTION.
tfs
Mark

  • Great 
  • viv Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 3 N: 653] (3307)
  • [2006-04-27 6:26]

Hi Manyee,
What a elegant bird, great POV sharpness and colours.
TFS
Vivian

Hi Manyee, excellent work, Perfect DOF, BGm POV, perfect work. TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1740 W: 95 N: 2273] (8411)
  • [2006-04-27 7:47]

Hi Manyee,
Beautiful heron very well shown. Great details and composition. I'd like a more vivid GB, but the black/white efect is ok.
TFS
José M.

Amazing colors this bird.
Good details and compo.
Andrea

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 962 W: 0 N: 89] (7801)
  • [2006-04-27 14:31]

Hi Manyee
Beautiful shot.Good colors, details, colors, sharpnes and composition.
well done

osse

Hi Manyee,
Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV and framing.

Thanks for posting, have a great end to the week.

Hi Manyee,
This is a great shot on this Snowy! The breeding plumage looks amazing in this. Great ppose, and detail is very sharp. Awesome!
Scott

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5452 W: 594 N: 3665] (10077)
  • [2006-04-27 23:23]

Hi ManYee
This is an excellent capture of the egret way up in its vantage point between the leaves of the palm tree. My question is just, "How did you get up there to take this photo?" This looks like it's been taken at the same level that the bird was sitting at.
I really like the composition very much and particularly the contrast between the neat plumed feathers of the bird and the hectic BG that the palm leaves forms. The colours are great, the DOF is splendid with very nice sharp details, and the exposure was very good.
I particularly like the contrast between the neat plumed feathers of the bird and the hectic BG that the palm leaves forms.
Great work and TFS.
Regards
Loot

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2006-04-28 8:53]

Nice bird and nice picture Manyee, sharp, great exposure and a strong POV. Very well done again. Thanks.

Mario

This bird is one of my favorite,they are so elegant and looks so delicate...well done on the exposure and colours and detail...
Great shot...

Hi,
A beautiful bird well captured!! I like the composition,sharpness and details!.
He is so focused on something in the water!!
TFS
Goutham R

Hi Manyee,
What an amazing bird you have captured here. Nice composition and exposure.
TFS
Paul

  • Great 
  • cruize (30)
  • [2006-05-01 22:59]

Very nice composition Manyee, I like the similarity in texture and form of the Egrets feathers and the feathery Palm leaves. Perfect exposure too given the variation between the very light and dark components.

Well done.
Vernon

Hi Manyee,
This egret look so soft, it's very good shot
Thank
Bruno(cooper)

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