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Snowy Egret at Holgate photograph by Wendy A. Ritch
From spring through fall, the Snowy Egret is a fairly common sight along the shallow, coastal
wetlands of the New Jersey coast.
Among the most elegant of the herons, breeding Snowy Egrets grow curving plumes that once
fetched astronomical prices in the hat fashion industry, endangering the species. By the early
twentieth century, conservationists rallied to protect egrets, and the species rebounded.
This image was captured by photographer Wendy Ritch at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife
Refuge in Holgate. On taking the photo, Ritch said "I waited for over an hour squatting in the long
grass by the salt marsh to get that shot!"
The Forsythe Refuge was established to protect tidal wetlands and shallow bay habitats for migra-
tory water birds. Its location is along one of the Atlantic Flyway's most active flight paths, and its value
for the protection of water birds and their habitat continues to increase as people develop the Jersey
Shore for their own use.
The Holgate Unit of the refuge is a 3.5-mile-long beach at the south end of Long Beach Island. It
offers seasonal opportunities to observe a variety of plant and animal communities. During the nesting
season (April 1 - August 31), the Holgate beach is closed to public access to ensure undisturbed nest-
ing conditions for threatened piping plovers and other beachnesters. (Holgate is one of the last nesting
sites still available for these birds at the Jersey Shore.) During the non-nesting season (September 1 -
March 31), visitors are welcome to walk the beachfront to enjoy its wildlife viewing opportunities.
For more information about Wendy Ritch's photography, please visit www.ritchvisionphoto.com.
