The great egret (Ardea alba) is also known as the common egret, large egret or (in the Old World) the great white heron.
This image is not two images, but a reflection of an egret in the water, giving it a pastel and transparent look. I quite like it.
And here is a dawn shot of a great egret, as the mist is lifting off the pond, with the lovely blue and purple colours that you get at that time in the morning.
Apart from its larger size, the great egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. But its never that easy for ID, as always these birds change, and the bill may become darker and the lower legs lighter in the breeding season.
Here is a typical example.
