The Great Egret is one of my all-time favorite birds. It is both primitive and elegant. Like a giant raptor of ancient times, it rises over its aquatic habitat with majestic dignity and expansive wings. It stands guard at the water’s edge, a silent sentinel in its patient search for food.

I interrupted this bird as I drove past the pond where it was the only visitor. It settled down onto a nearby rock, and when I approached on foot too quickly, it flew away across an adjacent field. It was magnificent in flight!