Nature Photography

Bird, wildlife, and landscape photography by Jon Rista

Great Egret


While Colorado is well known for the Snowy Egrets, a smaller, brilliant white bird from the Heron family that is ubiquitous in almost any shallow water, the Great Egret is a rarer visitor. Only seen during some migration years, it seems this year…overall an odd one for migrating birds…we seem to have at least one Great Egret. I captured this beauty at the Cottonwood Creek wetland in Cherry Creek State Park. Only the one, I could see no companions anywhere else around the park…it had a few spots around the Cottonwood Creek area that it liked to hang out. In particular was this one tree, deftly perching on the topmost branches on a single leg. I love the S-shaped curve of its neck and head in this shot, although a darker background would have been nice for contrast.

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