Sanibel Island Causeway, Florida. Gulf of Mexico. March, 2017.  Great Egret. Note the black bill and legs. By Eileen Goldfinger, Blogfinger staff.  ©

Great Egret with yellow-orange bill. Photograph at the Green Cay (marshland) in Palm Beach County, Fla. Paul Goldfinger photograph. Click to see the tail feathers. These birds almost became extinct when the hat industry demanded their feathers.  March, 20217 ©

Identifying birds like these white shore birds can sometimes be difficult because such birds are often similar.  These might be called the Great White Egret, the Snowy Egret or the Great White Heron.  The color characteristics can vary according to the season and the age of the bird.

The one on top stood still for long periods and then moved its legs very slowly before making a sudden thrust into the water with its bill. —-PG

THE ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC with Christopher Hogwood. It’s George Frederic Handel’s  “Water Music Suite #21”