Roseate spoonbill

I photographed this Roseate spoonbill at sunrise on Fort Myers Beach in a small lagoon protected by the state as a critical wildlife area. The sun was just beginning to break over the mangroves behind the bird, which for the moment provided a nice backdrop for dark contrast with the lighter plumage of the bird. The spoonbill was preening itself near a log in the shallow water, while snowy egrets and white ibis outside the frame were beginning to forage. Normally, it is images of spoonbills in flight that are the prize for most photographers. In this instance, I preferred the more simple portrait. The angle was fantastic, with the dark red eye in focus, the spatula-shaped bill facing almost flat toward the camera, and the feathers slightly fluffed from the bird's preening.