I'd say it was quite rare to spot a great egret. The furtherest north I
have ever spotted s great egret has been a lagoon just north of Coos
Bay OR. However there are many great blue herons in the Long Beach
peninsula area that seem to change into a lighter coloration in the
winter. I'm not doubting you (after all I claim to have seen a whooping
crane on the wing while driving across So. Dak.), it's just that egrets
are rather rare visitors this far north and herons are common in the
area. John Henninger