When we decided to travel to Florida, I eagerly put together a "bucket list" of birds I hoped to photograph. Incredibly, during our two-week stay, I managed to check off every single bird on that list—except one. But this wasn’t just about spotting another bird. I specifically wanted to see a Cattle Egret, and while we had seen plenty of them, I had one wish: to see a Cattle Egret perched on a cow—or a bull, I wasn’t too particular!

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On the morning of our departure, we decided to make one final trip to Joe Overstreet Road. Once again, we were serenaded by the melodic songs of the Meadowlarks, glimpsed a few hunting Kestrels, and even caught sight of a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites gracefully soaring above. It wasn’t until we decided to follow those Kites that my dream came true. Leaving Joe Overstreet Road behind, we follwed the Kites back toward the highway.  They veered south and we decided to head down a side road in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Kites one last time.  

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And then it happened — my Trusty Scout slammed on the brakes and shouted, “There’s a Cattle Egret...on a cow!” I scrambled out of the car, and there it was—my Cattle Egret, perched not on any ordinary cow but on a magnificent Brahma dozing in the field. Bucket list officially complete. 

 

Unlike most of its cousins, the Western Cattle Egret spends most of its time in fields rather than streams.  They have a symbiotic relationship with cattle, eating insects kicked up by the cattle's hooves while also eating pesky flies and ticks on the cattle, helping the cattle to avoid diseases caused by ticks.  These Egrets are native to Africa and didn't reach the United States until 1941.  Since then, they became one of the most abundant of the North American herons.