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Posts Tagged "Ardea alba"

Great Egrets Return

Posted on Apr 11, 2016

Great Egrets Return

Here we have one of the many returning Great Egrets seeking out our ponds, lakes and shores throughout the Northeast. This one, photographed last weekend, was in the middle of gulping down a snack. Our weather looks to be improving towards warmer and more typical conditions soon. Perhaps we can say goodbye to snow and freezing temperatures, making life for these birds – and their prey – that much easier. Egrets are a beautiful sight, and one of those species that even the non-birder recognizes and enjoys seeing back in our waters.

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January Great Egret

Posted on Jan 10, 2016

January Great Egret

This is your typical January Great Egret (Ardea alba) in New England…right…wait, what? As we plan and prepare for the fifth season of the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, part of our year-round effort is NOT finding these long-legged waders during the avian wintering season in Connecticut. I photographed this bird yesterday, and today the temperature climbed to 60 with severe thunderstorms in the area. Thanks again, El Niño, and you as well, climate change. We will have a chilly week in the Northeast, and the Lake Erie snow machine will turn on dumping inches or maybe...

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Overwintering Great Egrets

Posted on Nov 3, 2014

Overwintering Great Egrets

Would you believe that I took this photo of a Great Egret (Ardea alba) in Connecticut only last week? It is exceptionally true and resident birders in New England can attest to the fact that we now have them as an overwintering species! Climate change is starting to allow us to keep more long-legged waders and shorebirds, such as the American Oystercatcher, year-round in parts of Long Island Sound and the New England Atlantic coastline. Why bother leaving when you can make it through the entire season? Migration is the most perilous part of the life of a bird and while a colder than usual or...

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Great Egret – happy autumn eve!

Posted on Sep 22, 2014

Great Egret – happy autumn eve!

Happy autumn eve! This Great Egret should probably get a move on soon. With that said more and more long-legged waders, shorebirds and various passerine species are attempting to overwinter further north each year. Last winter was the exception to the continually changing climate. Anyone who tells you with certainty what these upcoming seasons will bring is assuredly fibbing, but right now for us in the northeast it seems to be a continuation of historically average conditions.

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Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Posted on Jul 1, 2014

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

This Great Egret (Ardea alba) was foraging at dusk in a tidal pool along the edge of Long Island Sound last night. Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were also nearby doing the same.

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