#532 In the field: Brookgreen Gardens aviary . . . egrets

Start this series with  #522,  April 16, 2014.  http://www.brookgreen.org/

http://www.brookgreenworkshops.com

The focus of this blog is egrets . . . specifically, the Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, and the Great Egret.
I spent many hours photographing, drawing, and observing wading birds in the Brookgreen Gardens aviary
in South Carolina last month and among the birds I experienced were the Snowy Egret and Cattle Egret.

Below, are photos of the beautiful Snowy Egret.  Note the narrow black bill, the black legs, and yellow feet.
The Snowy always has a crest of feathers on its head which is displays when excited.
The typical size of the species has a 36 inch wingspan and is 24 inches in length.

Below, are photos of the Cattle Egret.  The bird is stockier-shaped compared to the Snowy and can be distinguished
by its orange bill.  The bird is shorter in length than the Snowy but has the same-sized wingspan.

Below, we took a long walk on a lonesome trail in the Santee Delta and spotted the elegant Great Egret.  
The beautiful bird has a wingspan of 51 inches and is 39 inches in length.

The Santee Delta is formed by the Santee River and is the largest river delta on the Atlantic coast.
The posted sign reminds hikers and birders that the trail is closed to foot travel in the fall due to deer hunters.

Below, are photos taken in the Santee Delta swamp.

Below, we encountered this large alligator in the swamp while eating our lunch and kept a safe distance from it.

Below, are drawings from my sketchbook created during my excellent egret adventure in South Carolina's Lowcountry.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish