Egret Battle Print

Egret Battle photographed by Steve St. Lawrence 

Readers Choice First Place Wildlife in the 2025 Down East Photo Contest 

"For 46 years I have traveled from southern NH to Phillips Lake in Dedham. I take 295 from Portland to August to save time. The bonus being it's also more scenic. There's a stretch of wide open salt marsh that I always check out in hopes of seeing an eagle or other big birds. At 65 mph and a curve in the road it can be tough to spot anything. On occasion I might see maybe a single bird. On a recent drive home my luck changed. I rounded the bend. 6 white dots. I almost kept going but took the exit and doubled back. Turned out to be 6 egrets. I was able to get some shots that were beautiful, calming images. And then it happened. A fight over a girl. Feathers of fury, feet a flyin' and beaks a barking. And to think I almost drove home!"

• Exposure Time: 1/2500
• ISO: 1250
• Shutter speed: 3217/285
• Aperture: 5.655638
• Focal length: 600
• Camera lens: NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
• Camera Body: NIKON Z 8