The Reddish Run

1/800 | f/6.3 | ISO 320 | 700 mm

One of my favorite parts about birding is learning the behavior of a species. This past weekend I had the chance to observe and photograph a Reddish Egret at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (FL). 


I'd seen pictures of the reddish doing its dance, but had never had the chance to photograph it myself. "The dance" isn't a mating ritual, but instead is the nickname given to the energetic stalking technique that the reddish uses while hunting. It involves a zestful prance, often followed by an extension of its wings (to reduce any glare on the water) and a spearing if the prey.


While I wasn't able to capture the entire dance, I did fire away a few images of the prancing portion. The original intent was never to stitch the images together into an action panorama, but I think it worked out well.