GENTRY -- Great white egrets, almost as tall as a blue heron and considerably larger than the snowy egret, can often be seen in the area during the summer and late summer months, as seen in the accompanying photo taken Sunday by local conservationist and wildlife photographer, Terry Stanfill.
The large white birds with yellow bills wade in the shallows and catch small fish and frogs, as well as other aquatic life. They build stick nests in trees during the summer months and migrate south in the winter to Central and South America.
The birds were nearly hunted to extinction for their plumes in the late 19th century but, due to conservation efforts, are much more common again.
General News on 10/07/2015