Examples of Cattle Egrets collecting nesting material by sitting on a perch above the water and waiting for the Winds of Fortune to blow acceptable material within reaching distance of the perch, or close enough that only a short flight was required to acquire it and take it to the nest.
Nine image that illustrate: 1) the quote "They forage by clinging to emergent vegetation over open water, and extending their long necks ...", 2) the striking behavior of the birds, 3) successful capture of small minnows, and 4) rare images of a Least Bittern in a completely open space acquired during drought conditions in which the birds were forced to come out of the reeds to forage for food.