Reddish egrets are uncommon but highly entertaining herons of the southeastern US and Mexico.   When hunting, they dance around in energetic and goofy-looking pursuit of prey (see below) -- usually fish, as in some of these images.   One usually goes to Florida or Texas to get pictures of reddish egrets; ironically I've gotten some of my best photos of this species in southern California.   The bird in several of the images here was a rare stray to California, photographed at Bolsa Chica wetlands in coastal Orange County.   The flight shots were taken shortly before dawn (flash, red eye reflections) or shortly after dawn.   Other photos were taken at Fort DeSoto Park in south Florida, and in strong backlight at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge on the east coast of Florida; they are beginning to show the bicolored bill characteristic of breeding season.   There are also some images of white-phase birds, taken at Estero Lagoon, Florida and along the Texas coast near Port Mansfield.

• Canon 1D Mk. II, 1D3, 1D4, or 7D2; 500 mm IS lens and 2X converter or 800 mm IS lens, some with fill-in flash (2006, 2008, 2012. 2017)