Meet Red! He is a Reddish Egret who I've chased around Bolsa Chica more than once taking pictures of him as he hunted for his meal.  

Reddish Egrets live in saltwater marshes and lagoons.  They are the rarest and least well-know of the North American herons.  Medium-sized ... weighing about one pound, they stand two feet tall with a wingspan of four feet.  They are reasonably common in the Gulf states but a rare bird to see in California.  During the last two years, though, one or two them has taken up residence in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

Quite a few years ago, I had a really cool experience in Florida with a Reddish Egret.  I had waded out in a shallow lagoon about a 100 feet from the shore, when a Reddish Egret decided to ignore my presence.  He began fishing directly in front of me, and at one point, was so close that the camera wouldn't focus with the lens I was using (about 10 feet).  I had to stop shooting for a bit.  I've posted those shots in one of the galleries, and you can see them at this link:  http://naturallightimages.zenfolio.com/p301823437/h3da60dd3#h3da60dd3 .

In the next few images, meet California Red .  Here he is ... surveying the scene  .... there must be fish out there:

Red has an intensity and focus.  His approach to fishing is quite different than the other egrets.  He spots fish in the water and chases them around in a comical dance.  He extends his wings as he dances.  Some think it is  done to eliminate the reflections off the water.  Other's think it is done to cause the fish to think it is hidden in the shade of the bank, and maybe it is done  for balance? With its bright yellow eyes, focus, and strange dance, Red appears maniacal sometimes!

Red spotted some activity about 20 yards away so he ran/flew over to see what was up!

Anybody home?

Ah, there you are!

I  think it is tough way to make a living,  but Red seems to do ok  ...  or so it seemed on this  day.

Bye for now,

Adam