Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons are both top predators in the marshes. As such, they don’t get along very well.

This dead branch was not big enough for both of them. The Great Blue became the aggressor, the Egret not as big, did not want the fight this time.

It was mostly noise at first.

The Heron finally made a move toward the Egret, who quickly jumped off.

Again more noise as the Great Egret left. The whole confrontation took a few seconds with neither actually touching each other. That’s usually what happens.

Breeding season is different. Great Egrets will stand up to the big Herons in rookeries. That gets interesting.