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Snowy Egret in full breeding plumage Source Wikipedia |
People were cancelling all their plans and booked tickets to fly in to Cape Town to come and see the unfamiliar, yet beautiful Snowy Egret. Somehow our friend found his way to the African continent from America, as he is a bird not commonly found in Africa. The last time this beauty was recorded in South Africa was in May 2002.
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Front page of the Cape Times |
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Snowy Egret |
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Snowy Egret |
We returned on Saturday morning only to find no Snowy, with cold and misty conditions. We decided to come back a little later when the mist had cleared, and we were fortunate enough to find our friend enjoying some sunshine on the bank opposite the railway bridge.
VIDEO of the Snowy Egret at the Blackriver in Cape Town. June 2015
The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World little egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas.
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Snowy Egret Twitchers at the Blackriver |
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Snowy Egret |
At one time, the beautiful plumes of the snowy egret were in great demand by market hunters as decorations for women's hats. This reduced the population of the species to dangerously low levels.[citation needed]
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Twitchers looking for the Snowy |
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Other Birds spotted on the day: Blacksmith Lapwing Plover |
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Other Birds spotted on the day: Common Moorhen |
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Other Birds spotted on the day:Pied Kingfisher |
Now protected in the United States by law, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this bird's population has rebounded. [Wikipedia]
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Other Birds spotted on the day: Reed Cormorant |
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Other Birds spotted on the day: White Breasted Cormorant |
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Snowy Egret Twitchers |
The birds eat fish, crustaceans, insects, small reptiles, snails, frogs, worms, mice and crayfish. They stalk prey in shallow water, often running or shuffling their feet, flushing prey into view, as well "dip-fishing" by flying with their feet just over the water.
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Snowy Egret Twitchers |
Snowy egrets may also stand still and wait to ambush prey, or hunt for insects stirred up by domestic animals in open fields. [Wikipedia]
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Other Birds spotted on the day: Yellow Billed Egret |
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Snowy Egret Twitchers |
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Snowy Egret |
Photographic Equipment Used on this shoot:
Canon 5D Mark 2
Canon 600 f4
Canon 1D Mark 3
Canon 24-70mm f2.8
Video: Samsung S4
Binoculars Leica Trinovid
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