Snowy egrets congregate regularly at Ponce Inlet near New Smyrna Beach.  They are also pretty adjusted to people being nearby so the opportunities for great photos are readily available.

This snowy egret was hunting on the Ponce Inlet jetties.  These are large blocks of granite that are ut sed to block the force of inbound waves at the inlet.  You can also find pelicans, plovers, great egrets and other birds at this location.

Snowy Egret Sneezing

Here is photographic evidence that birds sneeze.  This snowy egret was hunting along the banks of the Ponce Inlet in New Smyrna Beach and apparently got water up the nose, or beak I suppose.  I've never seen this and captured the evidence by pure luck and the 5 frames per second on the digital camera.  If you click on the image and get the larger view it's much more noticeable.

Pelican Takes Flight

This brown pelican is taking flight from the waters of Ponce Inlet near New Smyrna Beach.  They must be incredibly strong to take flight from sitting in the water with just a couple of wing beats.  Smaller birds such as moorhens and coots have to get a running start across the surface of the water in order to achieve this.   On most days the water at Ponce Inlet is so clear that the fish don't seem to have a chance against the pelicans and ospreys that frequent the area.

Ponce Inlet

This is the southern shoreline of Ponce Inlet just north of New Smyrna Beach.  This is my favorite place to go walking.  There is a raised boardwalk from Smyrna Dunes park that leads to a number of access points to the beach and the inlet.  Parts of this park are dog friendly as well.  There is an egret wandering the shoreline but I was more interested in the colors of the beach and the water.  This spot is a great one for seeing dolphins, ospreys, snowy egrets and a variety of small shorebirds.   I highly recommend a visit to New Smyrna Beach, there are some great seafood restaurants and an interesting little old downtown shopping area.