Great Egrets are year-round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. They can often be found near a river. Craig Tooley photographed one resting on a coastal bluff.

In breeding plumage, a patch of feathers on their face near their eyes turns green. We have a smaller egret here, a Snowy Egret. Eric Zetterholm's photo shows the larger Great Egret on the left and the smaller Snowy Egret on the right.

Great Egrets are the symbol of the National Audubon Society. These birds were killed for their feathers, which were used to decorate women's hats. Audubon was founded to stop this practice, thus saving these elegant birds from extinction.

Thanks to Craig and Eric for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Drippy fog early this morning has completely disappeared. It's a lovely summer day on the Mendonoma Coast.