In Texas, when someone asks for a long neck, they probably aren’t thinking of a Great Egret. These graceful creatures have long sinewy necks that can coil and strike with the ferocity of a rattle snake. Their long necks can also curl into impossible shapes while they preen themselves. This “close up” shot was actually taken from about 50 yards away with a Nikon D4S, the 800mm f5.6 Nikkor and a 2x teleconverter.