Cattle Egret, Green Heron & Little Blue Heron

The final species of egret I photographed at the bird rookery was the Cattle Egret. This is the same species that can be occasionally seen in the UK. A smaller bird than the other two, I wasn't able to get as close as the Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets, but I was able to get a couple of shots I was quite pleased with.

Cattle EgretGatorland, Florida, USA Cattle EgretsGatorland, Florida, USA Cattle EgretsGatorland, Florida, USA

A similar sized bird to the Cattle Egret is the Green Heron, although it is considerably more colourful. On my trip to the rookery, I just saw one single bird, skulking around a bush close to the boardwalk. It only came out into the open briefly, just long enough for a couple of photos.

Green HeronGatorland, Florida, USA   Green HeronGatorland, Florida, USA

One bird that did allow a close approach was the Little Blue Heron. This first bird stood on the rail of the boardwalk and allowed me to get within just a few feet for this close up image.

Little Blue HeronGatorland, Florida, USA

Birds in neighbouring bushes allowed fuller portrait images, including a leucistic bird, which at first glance could be mistaken for a Cattle Egret.

Little Blue HeronGatorland, Florida, USA

Little Blue HeronGatorland, Florida, USA

Little Blue HeronGatorland, Florida, USA