Wilmington resident Tyler Paul’s rare sighting of a state-endangered snowy egret earned him the top honors in the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Preserve the Moment photo contest for May.

Paul photographed the bird while kayaking at McKinley Woods – Kerry Sheridan Grove in Channahon, the forest preserve district said.

He said he was especially excited when the egret perched itself on a scenic branch, creating an opportunity to capture the bird in a natural setting.

“I enjoy being outdoors, seeing interesting wildlife, and applying the technical aspects of photography,” Paul said in a news release from the forest preserve district.

“I’m also a big Pokémon fan, and wildlife photography appeals to the same part of me that enjoys exploring and finding creatures I haven’t seen before,” Paul said.

Snowy egrets have yellow legs and feet and can occasionally be spotted migrating through the state, where they spend summers in southwestern Illinois along the Mississippi River. During winter, they can be found from the southern coastal United States to South America, the forest preserve district said.

“The endangered status is due to the massive number of snowy egrets that were killed in the late 1800s for their feathers (plume hunting),” according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. “The snowy egret was never very common in Illinois before this period of plume hunting and has not recovered well since.”

Honorable mentions for the May photo contest were awarded to:

• Laurie Lasseter of Woodridge for a photo from Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve of a great blue heron attempting to eat a fish.

• Joe Viola of Shorewood for a photo of a goose with its goslings at Rock Run Preserve.

• Amy Miller of Joliet for a misty deer silhouette at Rock Run Preserve.

The Preserve the Moment contest began in February and runs through Dec. 31. Monthly winners advance to a final round of voting for overall winners in January 2027.

Each monthly winner receives a $75 gift card. Overall winners will receive MasterCard gift cards worth $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $150 for third place. Three additional participants will be selected at random to receive $75 MasterCard gift cards.

The contest is made possible with support from The Nature Foundation of Will County. For contest details, rules and entry information, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.