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Great Egret and Great Blue Heron

Ardea alba and Ardea herodias

Photo by beaker98
Published on Project Noah
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41.4903, -90.638

Field Notes

Habitat:

Marsh habitat off the Mississippi River. Nahant Marsh Education Center

Notes:

This great egret had just caught a bowfin for a meal, and the great blue heron really wanted it. This marsh is loaded with bowfin, and this seems to be the primary food source for the larger birds.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (8)
beaker98
Thanks for the tip Ashley! I always appreciate your expertise.
AshleyT
It helps having the great blue heron in the photo too for a size reference. You can also go off of leg color. Great egrets have black legs and cattle egrets have yellow/orange legs :)
beaker98
Thanks James and Ashley! Thanks for the proper ID as well Ashley. I went back and forth on this one.
AshleyT
Hey Bill, that's a great egret, not a cattle egret :) Great shots of it with a fish though!
James McNair
Awesome shots, love the one of the Great Blue landing
beaker98
Thanks Stephanie! I'm headed there again tomorrow and hopefully the gates will be open. I would love to get closer and get in the photo blind they have there. These were taken at quite a distance.
Stephanie R.
Nice looking photos, Bill. I am glad that you finally made it out to the marsh!

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Critters of the Midwest
Mission
Iowan Biodiversity

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Photographed
PublishedAugust 6, 2014

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