We were at Country Park a couple of weeks ago and this Great Egret was prancing around behind the Greensboro Science Center. The great egret is fairly common in North Carolina. Even though these large wading birds like to forage in wetlands and in costal communities, it is not uncommon to see them in Greensboro, especially on a visit during the late-summer, post-breeding season.* This bird is a member of the heron family and is often seen in a habitat where blue heron can be found. They both feed on fish, frogs, and small mammals.
The egret above got tired of all the humans looking at it, not only us, with camera in tow, but also the people peeking in the lower left-hand corner of the photo. The egret took flight, heading to the other side of the lake near the dog park. It is hard to believe that these majestic creatures are such graceful flyers; but they are. They are especially beautiful against a backdrop of dark greenery. You might want to visit one of our many Greensboro parks this weekend to see what birds are still around. Before you know it, they will be migrating somewhere warmer. Have you noticed a slight change in the air and the fact that the sun sets before 8pm? Likely, the egrets and herons have!
*reference and additional information, here.
Wonderful timing with this shot. They don't make it quite this far north.
The nights here are now cooler, even though we're in a hot spell at the moment.
Posted by: William Kendall | Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 03:49 PM