By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

The majestic Great Egret is a beautiful sight to see in our North Carolina waterways.
I found this one last weekend taking off from next to a small canal at Lake Landing at Lake Mattamuskeet in Englehard, N.C.

They are a bit smaller and more lithe then Great Blue Herons, yet these are still big birds with large wingspans.
They are expert hunters of frogs and fish, standing very still until the moment they strike.
A lightning quick thrust of their sharp yellow bill is all that’s needed to land a meal and then their prey is swallowed whole.

These majestic birds were nearly hunted to extinction due to the demand of their beautiful white breeding plumes in the late 1900s.
A now familiar icon of the Audubon Society, public awareness of this species rapid decline was the flash point which sparked the fist bird conservation movements in the United States.
Today, Great Egrets are thriving and are happily found searching for food throughout much of the U.S.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatchingnc
Canon 5Ds