A very dramatic reminder that spring is here, the Snowy Egret is a very showy bird that I saw this morning for the first time this year. It was in one of the drains (where irrigation run-off is delivered back to the Rio Grande), looking for minnows, tadpoles, and crawfish. It is one of three egrets that fly up the Rio Grande to nest in the cottonwoods next to the river–the other two being the Great Egret and the Cattle Egret. Here’s a nice shot of a snowy on its nest still in its breeding plumage. Note the fuzzy chicks.
