23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Burden of Creation

A Great Egret flies with a long stick clasped in its bill, wings sweeping in a bright arc as it returns to the rookery. The lifted feathers and trailing legs emphasize the grace and determination of a bird building its nest high above the wetland.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: St. Augustine, Florida, United States of America
Camera: OM-1MarkII
Copyright: © Jacqueline Burke