See Sammy Snack!

When Sammy the Snowy Egret visits the salt marsh for a snack, it’s easy to identify him even at a distance…

How? Because Sammy is the only wading bird I’ve observed who fishes by running, flying in short hops, or even hovering like a huge hummingbird.

Why? You might say it’s his way of fly-casting. The object is to show off his bright yellow feet to any minnows, worms, crustaceans or insects that constitute his diet.

I was fortunate enough to photograph Sammy in action last week, running, hopping, hovering —and, in the process, displaying his breathtaking white wings as well as those famous golden feet. My featured photo, above shows Sammy hovering just before striking —and below, you can follow him through the process of landing a fish.

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Second in a sequence of 7 photographs showing the Snowy Egret’s fishing behavior.
Second in a collection of 7 photographs. Sammy continues to hover, dangling his golden feet inches above the salt marsh pool.
Third in a collection of 7 photographs.
Fourth in a collection of 7 photographs. Now he wades about, stirring the waters with his feet to flush out his prey.
Fifth in a collection of 7 images. And Sammy strikes!
Sixth in a collection of 7 images. Looks like he’s landing something here…
Seventh in a collection of 7 photographs. And here’s his prize—a fat, juicy minnow!

 

 

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