these elegant locks are dangling from an egret breeding plume–the delicate, showy feathers egrets and herons grow to attract a mate when breeding season comes upon them. i wonder if they spend as much time admiring their reflections in still shallow waters as our daughter, who is technically, I suppose, approaching breeding season, spends looking at herself sideways in the bathroom mirror, checking out her own breeding plumage.

egret feather

turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota