Snowy egrets (Egretta thula,
Order Pelecaniformes, Family Ardeidae - Herons >)
are among the more elegant , their birds active on
Will Rogers Beach. Their long black legs and
black beak contrast dramatically with the white
feathers and, in addition, the yellow feet and
yellow patch around the eye add a dash of
color. They go after the sand crabs, and seem
to have good vision; sometimes they'll be standing
in a spot and dart unexpectedly several feet to the
side to secure one of the tasty crustaceans.
It is not uncommon to see several of them spread out
along the beach 30 yards apart or so working the
line of the incoming water. June 1, 2021 – Three were patrolling the beach between Temescal and the lifeguard station. The overcast conditions provided less than ideal lighting. |
June 27, 2021 - Snowy egret amidst
the rocks at the area of Sunset Beach. When it
was walking in the water, it a number of times did
an interesting foot movement/dance to stir up the
sand a bit, very probably to cause edible critters
to emerge. |
It had a bit of eelgrass on its leg. |
July 9, 2020 - There were four snowy
egrets just beyond the lifeguard station; they
seemed to be finding plenty of sand crabs. |