A few years ago Great Egrets were very rare sightings around here. When a Great Egret was spotted it would mobilize birders and photographers from far and wide and draw a huge crowd. Now they are common everyday sights along the river with upwards of 35 of them being seen all at once. It appears that some have also bred here this year for the first time in history.
 
This particular Great Egret has been in this same spot for a couple of weeks now, forging near the shoreline off a riverside park that I visit almost every day. Today while I was on my regular walk there I was lucky to encounter this Great Egret very close to shore. Every other time I have been it has been well beyond the range of my camera. This is not a heavy crop either!