Welcome to our Humble Abode!

Out in the open fields of Charlie's Pasture Nature Preserve, walking along the gravel pathway, we came upon a wooden bridge that normally crosses a section of water pond [the drought made the water nearly zero existence at this point]. The foot bridge had two hosts that greeted us....[the 2nd photo was impossible to frame, hence just a photo right off the camera]

A snowy egret to the left side...

A reddish egret in white morph to the right...

REDDISH EGRET [white morph stage]
photo taken: Charlie's Nature Preserve - Port Arnasas Texas

The reddish egret, a beautiful wading bird, is a permanent resident of the Texas coast. Although recognized as one species, reddish egrets may be either white (white phase) or gray with a reddish or rusty colored head and neck (dark phase). It is currently listed in Texas as a threatened species. Reddish egrets can live up to 12 years.

Reddish egrets reach sexual maturity at three to four years. Their mating season is from early March through late July. Their nests are made of sticks either on the ground or in a bush or tree up to 20 feet (6 m) high. In Texas, nests are built mostly on the ground near a bush or prickly pear cactus or on an oyster shell beach. The nest may be up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) thick with a diameter of 12 to 26 inches (30 to 66 cm). Both parents build the nest, and sticks are continuously added to the nest during incubation. The length of their incubation period is unknown, but estimated to be 25-26 days. Reddish egrets sometimes nest alongside other birds such as herons, egrets, cormorants and spoonbills. Their predators include raccoons, coyotes and great-tailed grackles, which destroy their eggs and eat the young birds.

Nests usually contain three to four, smooth, pale blue-green eggs with no markings. Two dark phase birds can have white phase chicks, but two white phase birds can never have dark phase chicks. When a dark phase bird and a white phase bird mate, their chicks are almost always dark phase. The white phase of the reddish egret was once thought to be a completely different species. In Texas, only 10 to 20 percent of the reddish egret population is white phase. In the 1950s, just four percent of the whole United States' population was white phase.

The reddish egret is crepuscular (it is most active at dawn and dusk). When feeding, reddish egrets will spread their wings to create shade and reduce glare so that they can see their prey more easily in the water. Small fish, frogs, tadpoles and crustaceans make up most of their diet. When chasing fish, they also run in circles. Reddish egrets use their long, spear-like bills to stab their prey. After feeding, reddish egrets regurgitate all the inedible parts of their prey, such as bones, much like owls do. Parents feed their young by regurgitating into the chicks' mouths.

information source: Texas Wildlife

SNOWY EGRET & REDDISH EGRET
aka - Preserve's docents
photo taken - Footbridge at Charlie's Nature Preserve - Port Aransas Texas

SNOWY EGRET
photo taken - Charlie's Nature Preserve - Port Aransas Texas