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Veil of Grace

Janelle Schroeder

United States of America

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A Great Egret in breeding plumage of elegant aigrettes and brilliant green lores preens, giving me a gorgeous glimpse of its brilliant eye and sensuous curve of its neck. The leading lines of the aigrettes take you straight to that piercing eye, which just catches the highlight of the setting sun.

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Honorable Mention

A great egret draped in breeding plumage of elegant aigrettes curls its neck, giving me just a peek of one eye highlighted in the setting sun. In color, the lores around the eyer are a brilliant green, another hallmark of the great egrets' breeding season. This image conveys drama and mystery.