I spent a couple hours at Ridgefield yesterday experiencing all kinds of rain, hail, and sunshine... It started to downpour just as I began the auto route, so I pulled over to watch a Great Egret plucking teeny tiny fish out of the pond...
And then he crept slowly over to the side of the pond and plucked a little rodent out of the grass...
And finally, he ate it...
Delicious!
It continued to pour the rest of the way around the route, until the very last curves... The sun came out and a beautiful rainbow appeared over a field filled with egrets...
I decided to drive around one more time since the rain had let up... Some Sandhill Cranes had shown up and were making quite a racket. I was looking the other way when I heard the racket increase tenfold... I turned to look and they were flying towards me...
Then I noticed this guy approaching...
Yay!!! My first of the season... He really stirred things up just flying over the marsh....
Towards the end of the route I stopped to take some photos of a Northern Harrier...
What a good trip! On the way out I took some shots of the foliage from the bridge..
I love fall.
And then he crept slowly over to the side of the pond and plucked a little rodent out of the grass...
And finally, he ate it...
Delicious!
It continued to pour the rest of the way around the route, until the very last curves... The sun came out and a beautiful rainbow appeared over a field filled with egrets...
I decided to drive around one more time since the rain had let up... Some Sandhill Cranes had shown up and were making quite a racket. I was looking the other way when I heard the racket increase tenfold... I turned to look and they were flying towards me...
Then I noticed this guy approaching...
Yay!!! My first of the season... He really stirred things up just flying over the marsh....
Towards the end of the route I stopped to take some photos of a Northern Harrier...
What a good trip! On the way out I took some shots of the foliage from the bridge..
I love fall.
That is quite a variety of pictures. I never really thought about Egrets eating a small mammal until I saw your first pictures. I love it when Bald Eagles fly through. It doesn't get much better than your fall picture either.
ReplyDeleteHoly cow...I've never seen an Egret catch and eat a rodent! Very cool series! Sandhill Cranes and a eagle at the same time--you're so lucky!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. I love the Sandhill Cranes. I saw a pair in MN this summer, my first. Thanks for visiting my blog. Welcome to birding!
ReplyDeleteLove the Egret Om-nomming on the furry thing! I caught a Great Blue Heron trying to swallow a Muskrat this summer...didn't work out so well...
ReplyDelete