For me this is a special Photograph. The sheer number of different birds would be enough, but standing center stage is a Reddish Egret.

These birds have a range that might be the smallest in the USA. Their habitat is only in red mangrove swamps in Florida, on arid coastal islands covered with thorny brush in Texas. A conspicuously long-legged, long-necked wader of coastal regions, more tied to salt water than any of our other herons or egrets.

There are only 1,500 to 2,000 nesting pairs of reddish egrets in the United States — and most of these are in Texas. Obviously an endangered bird.

Yet every year one or two make their way to the Lowcountry. The marshes here are the perfect habitat for them, and they need space badly. With luck they will start to breed here and help save the species.