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Alors que je faisais un suivi de cette hirondelle, elle est remontée en passant derrière les hautes herbes sèches de la roselière ce qui lui confère un léger manque de netteté et cette couleur particulière.
Prise de très loin.
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While I was following this swallow, it came up passing behind the tall dry grass of the reed bed which gives it a slight lack of sharpness and this particular color.
Taken from far away.
I mentioned this earlier in the year, but there weren't very many around this past summer. Hopefully, I didn't disturb any of their habitat. We had a large Ash tree go down 2 winters ago and we've cut a lot of willow along our stream. Eggs are laid on those tree leaves.
Daily rains for several weeks have brought lush lawns and pastures and happy deer along my lane in Botetourt County, Va. ©2025 John M. Hudson | jmhudson1.com
I was out for a stroll the other morning when I spotted this Snowy Egret, looking suspiciously like a very fancy feathered detective, absolutely stalking its breakfast across a pond.
My first, deeply profound thought? "Well, at least he doesn't have to eat with those muddy feet!" A true gentleman of the wetland, indeed—keeping his hands (or should I say, beak?) clean for the main event.
The Snowy Egret is a medium-sized, highly elegant heron, instantly recognizable by its immaculate, all-white plumage set off by striking color contrasts.
Its most distinctive features are its long, slender black legs that terminate in brilliant yellow feet—a feature that often makes it look like it's wading on "golden slippers."
This bird has a long, delicate black bill and a yellow patch of skin in front of its eye, which intensifies during the breeding season. During this time, the egret is at its most exquisite, sporting fine, lacy, recurved plumes on its head, neck, and back—plumes that were once so coveted for the fashion industry that the species was nearly hunted to extinction.
A dynamic and active forager, the Snowy Egret is often seen using its bright feet to stir up the mud or water in shallow wetlands, marshes, and ponds, flushing out small aquatic prey like fish, crabs, and insects before swiftly spearing them with its bill.