Still Here

That Great Egret I saw on Mud Pond last week is still here. And just as elusive as ever. My husband and I walked around the pond today, hoping to get a nice clear shot of this splendid white bird, but each time we approached within focussing range, it flew away as far as it could from us. Can you see it way, way off on the other side, that bright white dot right in line with the beaver lodge? (Click on the photo to see it better.)

By sneaking quietly, hidden by trees, I managed to get a closer shot.

Hey! I think I see something in the egret's mouth! I imagine it would find easy pickings here in this pond, with the water so low. The fish must be suffocating, with nothing but warm shallow water to swim in -- and not much of that. I hope we get rain soon. And lots of it.

I couldn't get very close to that egret, but this grasshopper let me poke my lens right up to him. I'd never before noticed the grasshopper's interesting two-clawed feet.

Something else I'm noticing now that I'm looking up close: this grasshopper seems to have only two pairs of legs. They're supposed to have three pairs, with the hindmost legs big and powerful for jumping. Where are its big jumping legs? This is very mysterious. Anybody have a clue?