This morning as I stumbled around the kitchen getting breakfast ready I glanced out the window at the pond behind our backyard. This glance has become part of my morning routine – absentmindedly checking to see if there are any interesting birds around. In recent days it has been the usual cast of Grackles, Mourning Doves and a family of Black-necked Stilts. But today was different. A beautiful Snowy Egret was tiptoeing his way around the edge of the pond. In South Florida there are plenty of Cattle Egrets and Great Egrets around, but I rarely see a Snowy. In fact it was a first for this year.
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Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) |
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The Snowy Egret can be identified by its mostly black bill and yellow lores in front of its eyes. Cattle Egrets and Great Egrets are also white-bodied, but have mostly yellow bills. |
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The snowy egret photos are really nice. It's wonderful to see an unexpected bird in your backyard – like the time I thrilled to see a western tanager in my yard in downtown Salt Lake City.
Yep. It made my morning.