Snowy Egret

I watched from the cliff edge as two Snowy Egrets stalked prey in the tide pools off of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. It was a bright but cold December Day, so there was a whitish glare reflecting off the ocean into my eyes and the Egrets slipped in and out of view as their forms blended into the swabs of light, becoming visible again against the dark wavelets. Snowy Egrets feed on mudflats, in rivers, on pond banks and tidal flats as well as irrigated fields. Their profile whether standing erect or stretched out in flight is distinctive. They are long- legged with long necks and a long and sharp, pointed beak. I suppose they appear thin, even for a bird. Though their legs are fragile looking, the Egrets seemed comfortable contending with the waves washing swiftly over the rocks. Snowy Egrets are more active fishers and do more scrambling and sprinting than White Egrets who use a stealthy stillness. The Snowy does more chasing of shrimp, aquatic insects, small fish, frogs, etc. They have a habit of stirring up shallow waters with their bright yellow feet ("golden slippers") as they wade and forage for prey, much as we might stir our soup with a spoon to lift the carrots or the beans. In flight they stick their long black legs rigidly straight out behind them and tuck their 's'-shaped necks in. They have a very wide wing span and slow graceful wing beats. Their breeding plumage is lace-like and becoming almost like a bridal veil or lightweight intricate shawl. The herons were my first favorite birds, and so they remain.