When I arrived at the rookery at 6:15 a.m. I could not believe the mess.
A sudden storm last night broke trees and threw several of the baby egrets from their nests.
This half-grown egret suffered a broken leg and was just laying in the swamp. The others had climbed on tree stumps.
A wonderfully kind young man paddled a pirogue out to rescue this egret. He took it to the Audubon Institute where hopefully they can set its leg and keep it until it is strong enough to fly on its own.
Unlike song birds, when an egret leaves the close vicinity of the nest, the parents no longer look for it.