So I managed to get a walk around Boomer Lake in between the thunderstorms today. Considering both the time I went, and the weather I really wasn’t expecting to see anything other than geese, mallards, and the occasional turtle.

So I was really happy when I noticed there was an egret on the far shore. Though before I could get a picture of it in the tree it took off towards an more quiet portion of the lake.

The egret could have just been in the area to just eat and then head back to the area where the nest and rest of the birds are-only a small portion of Oklahoma is in their breeding grounds (the rest of state including Boomer Lake is in the migratory area).

Though seeing this one, means that there should be quite a few come fall before they migrate south for the winter.

Some cool facts about the common (great) egret include:

They’re the symbol for the National Audubon Society.

They were hunted extensively in the 1800s for their long plumes (which were used to adorn women’s hats).

If it is a bad year for foraging/hunting–not all the young will survive. The stronger/larger chicks may kill off their weaker/smaller siblings (and it may also happen even during a good year for foraging/hunting).

Reference: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/overview