I don’t think I could ever get tired of watching wading birds fish. Each type of bird has its own method of fishing, but with all of them it shows real concentration, speed, and skill. And one thing I find especially fascinating is how little they miss. Great egrets (Ardea alba) are slow, methodical fishermen. Each step is measured and taken slowly and carefully. There is definitely a gracefulness to those movements. The whole time they are moving, they are highly honed in on the water, constantly looking for fish. When one is spotted, the slow, stealthy movements and the concentration levels go way up. One would think by watching this part that the bird stands absolutely no chance of catching something as fast as a fish. Then, suddenly, the bird is striking out with its neck and beak with a speed that’s almost beyond what we can see. Within a very small portion of a second, the egret has gone from barely moving, to grabbing a fish right out of the water, to nearly stationary again. It’s a show I can watch over and over again and not get bored with it at all!