photoartflightGreat Egrets With Breeding Plumage
When we were photographing last year at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery we saw a lot of Great Egrets with their Breeding Plumage. Great Egrets are of breeding age when they about two years old. As they get into breeding plumage, they have long lacy and delicate plumes on their backs. The eye lores (featherless skin between the bill and eyes) turn from yellow to lime green, and the top of the upper bill turns dark. Also sometimes it seems their neck and other areas look “more feathery”. Below are a few examples of their Breeding Plumage.
photoartflight 
Beautifully captured, Reed!
Thanks Belinda! It was an amazing photo trip last year! We got to Magnolia Gardens with the Audubon Swamp Gardens, St. Augustine rookery, J.N. Ding Darling NWR, my favorite the Lake Woodruff NWR and Merrit Island NWR. COVID-19 stopped us from going again this year.
So beautiful!
Thanks Eliza! It was a fun photo trip!