Backyard and Beyond

Immediately noticeable on this Great Egret are its green lores and long, trailing plumes. Both of these are breeding plumage highlights. Lores are the space between the eyes and the bill. The word comes the Latin lorum/lora, meaning strap or thong. It’s also used in snake anatomy. And some insects have a mouthpart called a lore.
Less immediately noticeable is the missing toenail on the middle toe of the bird’s left foot. The end of the toe seems a bit swollen, but not too much.