Participant Photo: Great Egret in the Mojave Desert
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This bird spent about 2 hours walking through the desert east of Joshua Tree on February 27. He did not appear to be injured but was definitely lost – there is no water anywhere near this community. He visited a couple of adjacent properties before lighting on a large rock adjacent Joshua Tree National Park. He finally flew off at dusk and after circling a few times and headed northwest toward Big Bear. This location is about 45 miles north of the ecological disaster occurring at the Salton Sea where fish and birds that fed on them have been wiped out this winter as the area of the sea declines and the water gets too salty to support tilapia and other species.
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6 comments on “Participant Photo: Great Egret in the Mojave Desert”
When I lived in 29 Palms years ago, I was getting ready to leave for work. I saw a glimmer of white out in my yard, so I investigated and there it was, an egret! I had never seen one till then, I called the shelter and they came and picked it up to return it to its rightful area.
Saw an Egret today just outside Rosamond Ca. Wandering around the desert. It was in the road as we watched it fly a short distance in front of us and land in the road again it seemed healthy. I believe it must have been blown here as we have had 3,4, days of high winds, I saw 2 on our property just 2 years ago also after high winds. We are in a very rural area with no water other than a small pond in our front yard, what a beautiful bird, it made our day. Hope it finds it’s way home.
I see egrets in the desert often in the Coachella Valley. Some look like they may be foraging. The other day one caught and ate whole a yellow-breasted chat behind my house on the Chino Canyon alluvial fan. I was able to get good pictures.
I have small fish ponds on my property stocked with goldfish. A great egret visited yesterday and ate every one of them. This is not the first time this has happened to me. I will restock and it will happen again.
Should I leave water out for it in case it comes back?
Do any of you know what egrets eat in deserts