Richard

Egrets

Sunday, 23. August 2009, 01:36:07

egret, Mississippi River, Valmeyer, horses, photography

A trip this afternoon to Valmeyer, Illinois.

This small town was destroyed by the great Mississippi flood of 1993, and in the aftermath the village was relocated 400 feet higher on the adjacent bluffs. However, in the optimistic way that development proceeds in this area, buildings are now popping up once again on the flood plain on the site of the old village.

The entrance road, Illinois Route 156, passed through Valmeyer and then onward and upward onto the levee that protects the entire area. It was here, on Levee Road, that we saw these egrets.

There must have been hundreds of them, mostly collected around the shallow pools that form on the river side of the levee, but a few taking to the trees to get away from it all.

For a few youngsters, taking to the trees was clearly not fun enough. Why sit in a tree when you could commandeer some transport?

Better yet, bring a friend.

Now, let's roll!

Not every day can be perfectTook my Toyota to the Levee

Comments

Léazz # 23. August 2009, 01:46

Love the picture of horse and egrets There are many egrets here too not sure where they came from.

Linda # 23. August 2009, 02:05

Nice pictures, Richard. I enjoyed the horse ones too.

Stardancer # 23. August 2009, 03:03

Egrets can usually be found in pastures here, hitchin' rides on cows.

Nice shots.

Linda # 23. August 2009, 03:29

We have a lot of cattle in my area, too; therefore a lot of cattle egrets on the cows and on the ground around the cows.

Richard # 23. August 2009, 03:33

That would be a sight, Star. Still, I was astonished to find them perched on the horses. Something I might expect in, say, the African svelte - not Illinois farmland.

Thanks, too, for your comments, Linda & Lea.