Great Egrets, Swans and a Kingfisher

 After getting stopped to wait for the tractor and grain truck we drove on out to the Shouldice corner, marked by the little old church.  There we turned around and headed back down through the swamp where we were lucky to see a Great Egret at quite close range, as well as distant swans.  This post is from two years ago this week.

This is the Shouldice church.  Many small places marked on old maps here are only a church and one-room schoolhouse, perhaps a post office.  There's no actual village.  This church appeared to be still in use, but the schoolhouse under the trees next door has been made into a residence

The bulrushes have filled in a lot at this time of year, but looking west there's more open water on this side.

Then we spotted a Great Egret, close enough to have a good look as it stalked through the shallows.

Great Egrets are similar in size and shape to a Great Blue Heron, a more common bird in this region, but the egrets are all white.

We had a good chance to have a good look at it; it didn't retreat from seeing us.

There were lots of tne native Bulrushes, not yet outcompeted by the invasive Phragmites.

Then over on the other side of the road we spotted a pair of swans in the distance.  They were probably Trumpeter Swans which have been spreading since their reintroduction 30 years ago.  They mate for life.

A Kingfisher landed nearby, but the only photo I could get was a silhouette.  

Finally another Great Egret, at an extreme distance.  All in all a good birding day.