Close encounter with snowy egrets

I've always been under the impression that snowy egrets are shy, furtive birds that take off when approached because of my experience with the ones in Winnipeg.

So it came as a pleasant surprise to us to meet the approachable snowy egrets of Nuevo Vallarta. Here, they're so used to being around people they walk closely around you, almost ignoring you, while stalking for food in the shallows. It's a beautiful experience to be able to get up so close to such an elegant and normally wary bird and to be able to watch with your naked eye their feeding activities. We often saw them fishing for minnows along the shore but they were also often seen standing on rocks preening. These snowy egrets are also year-round residents.

Video: Close encounter with a snowy egret.