Great Egret

It is unusual to see a great egret in Washington in winter and even more unusual to see one in western Washington. Egrets are large all-white herons that nearly went extinct at the end of the 19th century. Their feathers were a popular decoration for hats.

It wasn't until the late 1970s that the first nesting egrets returned to Washington state.

This guy swooped around the Nisqually delta, taking advantage of easier pickings at low tide.

Visit my DuPont Nisqually gallery for other images.