Simplicity and elegance of the Great White Egret in flight at Inwood Muscota Marsh in Manhattan.

Taken April 29, 2025 at 3:27pm with a Nikon Z9/NIkkor Z 400mm 2.8 TC with a 2X converter. Exposure 1/5000 @F8/800 iso.

For the last 6 months a daily ritual for me is going to the marsh and waiting for high tide to recede. As the waters begin to recede to about 2ft, if ones lucky enough, the egrets start to appear for its meal.

On this particular day, I was after a backlit capture knowing if the bird outstretched its wings fully its plumage would show in stunning details.

In closing, I'm not after birds that are perched or simply standing still anyone can shoot that but it's more rewarding / challenging to capture these beauties in flight. Seeing the full wing span of the majestic bird under dramatic light takes the image to another level.