Hi Dave and everyone,



I don't?have great?photos for this purpose, but do have one that is applicable.? This photo is of interest in that it captured Great Egrets (3), a Snowy Egret and a Killdeer in the same frame at the same time.? Parts of two of the three Great Egrets?legs show, and what does show is black.? Only the black portion of the Snowy Egret's legs show (they have a yellow 'boot' that I have seen, but not captured in an image).? The photo was taken in the Klamath Basin in August a couple years ago.? It is at - http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?LID=&photoID=2779890&cat=38973 .?



Regards,



John Tubbs

Snoqualmie, WA



----- Original Message -----
From: "D Richardson" <d.lrichardson at yahoo.com>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: "Marian Bailey" <Marian_Bailey at fws.gov>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2011 10:05:26 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Something odd about the Nisqually Great Egret



Hi Tweeters
Marian Bailey, Wildlife Biologist at Nisqually?NWR, asked me if Great Egrets have yellow on their legs. Guide books all describe the legs as black.? Does anyone know?? Photos of the bird that is wintering at Nisqually?show some yellow on the leg.? They have been black enough for me and the bird is large enough for all of us to call it a Great Egret.? It is the?first one on record to winter over.? All past reports have a single bird showing up in the Fall and hanging around for several?weeks.

Having just returned from Africa where we saw lots of egrets, Intermediates,?and?Reef Herons,? with some yellow on the legs, which caused me to wonder.? Has anyone paid enough attention to Great Egret's legs to discern if they occasionally?show some yellow part way up?? A few people have suggested white morph of?the Great Blue, but?I think we best leave that to the folks in Florida.? Is our bird odd??

If any of you have good photos of the bird, it would be interesting to see what coloring you have on the legs.

Dave Richardson?

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