These are Ellen Frank's photos of the two (yes, two, not just one) birds which she believes are Little Egrets and not Snowy Egrets. Both were photographed on an island in Three Mile Harbor where Ellen and her husband Steve Dickman live. Although neither photo was taken close enough to show some key features, the left-hand bird in the lower, larger picture does appear to have dark lores which makes it a good candidate for Little Egret. Ellen, who is a superb, award-winning artist, has an artist's eye and says that she noticed the birds for the first time by the color of his feet, which she describes as having been bright orange rather than the Snowy's yellow. She also notes that the bird had two plumes on its head, a notable feature of the Little Egret but not always a disqualifier for a Snowy (some Snowies -- perhaps hybrids -- have the two plumes rather than the overall fuzzy breeding plumage that is the usual Snowy look in season).
I have to add that the lores of the right-hand bird look yellowish to me. Finally, Ellen says that since she first spotted the bird, the foot color has changed from bright orange to a dirty orange-yellow -- a not unlikely event if the bird was changing out of breeding plumage.
Eric Salzman
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