Unusual bird observed: Great Egret (2 Viewers)

I have seen it several times before, but not before signing up to these forums. Peterson doesn't even list the Great Egret in Ohio, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources marks the Great Egret as very unusual, with only a couple of known nesting sites a good fifty or sixty miles away.

There's one living nearby, though. He/she's been there since spring, in an unimproved pond and wetlands in a nearby park. I had a great look at him, and he at me, for a good ten minutes or so today.

I don't think this is a breeding site, though. I've not seen more than one of these birds at a time.

Here's the Great Egret (not my picture, not the individual bird I saw.)

I would think that the Great Egret would be rather common in migration and post-breeding dispersal in your area. The nesting of Great Egrets generally takes place in colonies, where there are many birds. Sometimes these breeding colonies include nests of Great Blue Herons and, at times, also Little Blue Herons, Cattle Egrets and Snowy Egrets. So your Great Egret is probably one of these migrants or a wanderers. Peterson's Field Guide does show them being as far north as the Great Lakes and Canada, though as you stated these are not nesting locations.

Larry

Hi Larry,

Yes, Peterson has the birds north of Michigan, into Canada. But, at least in my guide, they're no further east than Michigan in the Midwest. (Again, Peterson may be conservative and marking only well established breeding locations.) I'm in east OH.

Ohio DNR does acknowledge that Great Egret are in Ohio, but not in great numbers. OHDNR says there are some breeding colonies in the western basin of Lake Erie. That's a ways away. The easternmost location they mention for a small colony, Sandusky, is at least sixty miles west of here. There's too much to quote fully, but here's what the OH DNR says:

http://www.ohiodnr.com/dnap/OhioBirding/Bird PDF/GreatEgret.pdf

Individual Great Egret do wander, and the last OH census didn't count dispersed individuals not part of a breeding colony. So, perhaps this bird isn't unusual in my location. I've only seen one on the ground, though, and one in flight in the past two years. Today's location, the pond location, is fairly remote, too. So, if they are around, it's not like they're showing up in easy to see places.

Great Blue Heron are relatively common here. They avoid people, but there are plenty of farm ponds and river wetlands where Great Blue Heron can be seen. (I've even almost hit one at night on my bicycle; it was hanging out in the irrigated roadside ditch and almost flew right into me.)

Little Blue Heron are rare here; they've not visited the OH shores of Lake Erie in large numbers for about half a century.

Great Egret are unusual enough around here that if the park weren't regularly visited by rangers, I'd email the OH DNR.

Hi Rational,

Thanks for the information. I have had so many "irons in the fire" that I have not gotten around to view all the different "threads" for a while.

Good Birding,

Larry

Great Egret has been relatively unusual around here, too (about 3 1/2 hours W of Sandusky, in NE Indiana), until a local waste management company created a good-sized wetland in the southwest part of town. We've had a regular egret invasion!! About 3 Sundays ago, I was out there early in the morning and counted 35!

Numbers have diminished, though, and I saw only 2 this morning. Of course, the Bald Eagle that was seen there yesterday morning have had something to do with that! I did see about 25 Great Blue Herons, 17 Double-crested Cormorants, and numerous ducks and gulls.

This wetland is less than a year old (created from flooded fields that were obviously wetlands in decades past) and has really proven to be a wading bird magnet.

The only unfortunate thing about it is that is borders a very busy four-lane road that is heavily trafficked by big trunks (dump trucks, etc.); actually safely viewing the area other than very early morning is a bit risky.

Can't wait for early spring to see what ducks it brings in!

I believe that I've seen a Great Egret here too this year, I can't remember seeing one before. (I live in Southern Ontario, about 1/2 north of Toronto) In an established, though small, wetland area where we usually see great blue herons, occasional cormorants, lots of ducks and geese. I've only seen it from a distance (about half a football field?) while driving past, and no picture yet.