Snowy egrets
Snowy egrets are small, delicate, and very active white herons with dark bills and legs and bright yellow feet. Like other egrets they develop long, filmy feathers on the neck, back, and rump during the breeding season (a few of these can be seen on the bird at upper left). Snowys frequently feed by stirring up the substrate with their feet with the bill held ready to snatch any small animal that moves. All of these birds were photographed at Bolsa Chica wetlands in coastal Orange County, California, Mission Bay in San Diego, CA, or in Palo Alto, CA.
Pictures of snowies in flight can be found here.
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
