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Snowy Egret with Tadpole
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Where: Virginia Beach, VA • Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Notes: This pair of Snowy Egrets was foraging along the ditch that parallels the entrance road into Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I arrived late that afternoon, about two hours before sunset hoping to grab a shot or two before the light was gone. This time of day provided the soft light needed to photograph the detail in these bird's white feathers, without overexposure due to harsh mid-day sun. As I took pictures from behind a bush at the roadside, I noticed them occasionally stopping and jiggling their feet around. I was not sure what they were doing until one of them plunged its beak into the shallow water and speared a big fat tadpole (left). They were apparently feeling around in the mud with their toes and when the movement for their toes spooked the tadpole, submerged and hiding in the mud, they would grab it.
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