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Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Above and below: Nesting Great Egrets at Harris Neck NWR, Georgia (5/7/2006).
High breeding plumage - note green lores and plumes
Below: Close-up of a Great Egret after an unsuccessful lunge for a sushi lunch (Somerset Co., Maryland, 7/20/2005).
Below: A Great Egret hunts in the shallows on Assateague Island, Maryland (10/12/2009).
Below: A Great Egret near Smithsburg, Maryland (7/24/2010). Scarce in Washington County. In the top-left corner, you can make out a Spot-winged Glider (dragonfly). I was pleasantly surprised that this insect was identifiable in the shot.
Below: A Great Egret at Youghiogheny Reservoir, Garrett Co., Maryland (7/24/2010). This was my county closeout in Maryland (seen in all 23 of 23 counties).
Below: A Great Egret lands among turtles at Fort Smallwood, Maryland (5/22/2011).
Below: A Great Blue Heron chases off a Great Egret - Fort Smallwood, Maryland (5/22/2011).
Below: A Great Egret at Fort Smallwood, Maryland (5/22/2011).
The Great Egret's large size, yellow bill, and black legs and feet make it fairly easy to distinguish from other egrets along its range. Snowy Egrets are smaller, have black bills, and bright yellow feet.