Ardea alba By Matt Young August 5, 2019 11:00 MST Photograph by John Trawick. Photography contest, Honorable Mention. Ardea alba – great egret. The photographer writes, "A common and beautiful wading bird. This photograph was taken with a Nikon D7100 at Lake Murray Reservoir in San Diego, California. The reservoir is also part of Mission Trails Regional Park. In the winter, these are common, and I happened on this one on a weekend morning when I often walk around the lake. Egrets are predators and hunt in shallow water."