Yesterday was just an ideal day to be out in the woods. The afternoon high was in the low 70s and there were just some white fluffy clouds in the sky. I had been promising myself a trip out to the Cedar Key area, so I took advantage of the great day and headed out. I’ve never been disappointed on a trip to Cedar Key, and I definitely wasn’t yesterday, either. The island of Cedar Key is a great place to look for sea birds and wading birds, but there is also a good sized nature preserve and a state park within a few minutes drive from the island. Although I was hoping to see Florida scrub jays and white pelicans, I didn’t actually see either one, but I saw plenty of birds, deer, seeds, berries, a bald eagle, and an armadillo, so I can’t complain. This guy was one of several great egrets (Ardea alba) that were perched on pilings near the dock in Cedar Key itself. It’s not quite the breeding season yet, but you can see the beginnings of the long plume type feathers that grow on the wings and back as part of the breeding plumage. Before long his lores (the skin around the nostrils and eyes) will also turn a rich greenish yellow color as part of his breeding costume. He’s quite beautiful as it is, but within the next few weeks he will become strikingly handsome. It’s also important that he keep those new feathers clean and dirt free if he wants to be able to fly effectively and an elegant, well groomed guy is always most attractive to the girls.

Any thoughts about this “sharp dressed man”?