Great Egret, Dawn Reflection

(View this photograph in my new high resolution minimalist gallery or click the image to enlarge.)

This image was captured on a chilly Florida morning about five minutes before sunrise. Warm light reflected from clouds in the eastern sky cast a soft glow on the wetland and its inhabitants. Great egrets (Ardea alba) are large, long legged, wading birds with a length of approximately 32 inches and a wingspan of about 55 inches. Their bills are long, thick, and yellow, their legs and feet are black, and their plumage is entirely white.