Kauai 2011 day 12 part 3: Egrets

My last post about day 12 features a few Cattle Egrets I was able to photograph over the course of the day. I'd seen them walking along the top of the long, dense hedges next to our building a few times during our stay already, but so far hadn't managed to get any really nice close-ups of one. Obviously, by the time the sun set on day 12 that was no longer the case.

Starting off with this shot because I like the contrast of the bird against the greenery:



Strolling along the top of the hedge:





Not the best photo, but I liked the curve of its neck here:



Still picking its way along, most likely looking for its next meal:



A couple of close-ups I was pleased with:





Later in the day, I was on my way back to my parent's unit when an Egret landed in the top of a palm tree I was standing directly across from:



Really liked how this one came out:



Loved not only the bend in its neck but the feather detail as well:



Again, I just liked the color contrasts in this one:



Eventually, the Egret got quite a ways from me. It was drizzling out, so I was seriously contemplate turning my camera off and heading upstairs when the Egret suddenly stabbed its head down. When it raised its head again, it had a gecko in its beak:



Very poor focus on this picture, I know, but it's my only decent example of something the egret did a few times as I watched: it would vigorously whip its head back and forth, presumably to snap the gecko's neck:



The Egret with its prize:





Preparing to enjoy its meal:



And there it goes, down the hatch:









A couple of shots of the Egret in the process of swallowing, as you can see the bulge in its throat moving downward:



Another satisfied customer:



Finally, some photos I took much earlier in the day, a few hours before I got my first close-ups. This one isn't the clearest, but I really liked the curve of the wings here:



Heading in for a landing:



And to close things out, a couple of pictures of the Egret settling its wings after landing in two different spots; I was pretty happy with how the feather details came out, especially given the distance: