Handsome Fellows

Well, spring is surely around the corner! Depending on where you live, you've probably begun to notice little buds on bushes and trees, little wildflowers popping up with their pastel blooms, and the birds singing with a little more gusto.

As it begins to warm, we change our outer clothing to something a little more suitable - short sleeve shirts or, at least, shed that heavy coat.

So it is with the birds. While some of them wear the same "look" year-round, like the Northern Mockingbird, others "gussy up", as we Southerners sometimes say, for courting. Three species of birds, we have noticed, have already put on their courting suits! The Great Blue Heron has his breeding feathers, as does the Great Egret. Great Blue's feathers drop from his neck down over his chest. Great Egret's white plumage drapes down his back creating a wispy look. Both are sure to catch the eye of their ladies.

The Brown Pelican has also begun to change. Mature Brown Pelicans have off-white feathers over the top of the head and down the back of the neck. In springtime, though, it's time to stand out! The pelicans develop a nice light brown stripe up the back of the neck and a yellow patch at the base of the front of the neck.

The result of all these fancy feathers? A new group of youngsters who, after hatching and maturing at nesting sites, will appear at our shores - forever continuing this precious cycle of life.