Oh so many of my Great Egret (eBird link) photos are favorites, but I chose this one because it is so simple from the close-up of face to the background. My Great Egret Gallery has one as a ballet dancer and others flying, but I like this one that I photographed on the Tarcoles River within an hour of Atenas!
Great Egret, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
They are found almost anywhere in Costa Rica where there is water. Links to places where I’ve photographed them:
I am now playing around with Haiku, the ancient Japanese poetry method that only describes nature. I’m a novice and your advice or opinions are welcome. I will not stick to rigid rules and prefer the more modern English approach of 2-3-2 syllables as opposed to Japanese 5-7-5, but even that will be flexible. And of course my goal is to combine Haiku creations with my nature photos. It will be fun and may or may not develop into something meaningful or continuing. Pura Vida! 🙂
Now I truly begin my report on the two day visit to Nicaragua in two nature reserves. In Juan Venado Refuge my boat tip included visiting what we called a “Rookery” in South Florida, a collection of tree islands where hundreds if not thousands of birds build nests, lay eggs, and raise their young until they can fly. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! He looks just like daddy! 🙂
Little Blue Heron chick Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Little Blue Heron Momma near the above nest Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Great Egret Nests on one of the mangrove islands Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua The majority of the nests were Great Egrets, but other birds mixed with them.
Great Egret Nests are very close together! Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Great Egret mother andchicks Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Great Egret Chicks (the closeup you wanted to see) Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Boat-billed Heron & Chick Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Boat-billed Heron Juvenile Learning to Fly Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Tiger Heron Chick Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Anhinga Chick (we saw Momma nearby, the only Anhingas seen) Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge, Leon, Nicaragua
Wow! I’m having fun! There are so many neat places like this for short and brief trips and this is just the beginning of bird photos from these two days. There will be many more the next few days and some other animals and interesting sights too! So much to see!
I still haven’t processed all the bird photos from the 2-hour, pre-breakfast float on Tarcoles River last Saturday morning. Maybe I’ll finish them tomorrow, a week after the trip to a favorite place!
Boat-billed Heron, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
Cerulean Warbler, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
Mealy Parrot, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
Great Egret, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
Green Heron, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica (I’ve many photos of them, but none like this front view)
Ringed Kingfisher, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
White Ibis hanging out with Black Vultures, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
It has been declared our most polluted river in Costa Rica, so birding may diminish here. But for now it is the closest place to my house I know of for this kind of birding and bird photography.
No matter how high a bird flies, it has to come down for water.
