Photography by Curtis Beaird
Article by Norma Beaird
A few days ago, we were in Laurens County and Curtis enjoyed a spectacular day of photographing our avian friends. At this pond, we usually see a Great Egret, Canada Geese, Mallards and the occasional Great Blue Heron. In the trees or on the ground, we'll see Common Grackles and American Robins. On this day, we were blessed to see the rare November to May migrant, Ross's Goose. On this particular afternoon, the Great Egret was there and he put on a show, especially when he decided to go fishing.
The Great Egret's catch of the day was a Perch!
It took a while for him to finish this meal.
As Curtis got closer with the camera, the Great Egret didn't seem to mind nor did he seem bothered by folks who are genuinely fascinated by his beauty and his amusing avian habits. He also wasn't deterred by the flock of Canada Geese as he dove into the middle of them and grabbed a big Perch.
Mr. Great Egret is a regular visitor to the Laurens County Pond and he never fails to entertain us with his fishing, posing and preening! He is a joy to behold with his four foot wingspan. His lovely white plumage and yellow bill are both handsome and exotic.
The next pose kinda reminded us of Donald Trump's hair. His preening and posing were epic that day; and fortunately, the afternoon light was just right for this picture!
Just when you think the show is over, we have the famous Gene Simmons pose! This pose was a new one for us - what a tongue! That Perch didn't stand a chance.
We understand why the Great Egret is the symbol for the National Audubon Society. Never a dull moment. He is a beautiful member of the Heron family; plus, he's an entertaining bird, not to mention quite humorous and serious about his fishing!
Curtis enjoyed photographing his many poses and antics on this chilly afternoon, but even the Great Egret can give you that look that seems to be saying......
"Look, y'all are nice folks; and yes, I've given you quite a show this afternoon, but don't you think it's about time to call it a day?"
Copyright 2014, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
