Juvenile Egret, 2023, photography, 5 x 10 in. / 12.7 x 25.4 cm.

Juvenile Egret, Philip Dodderidge, 2023, photography, 5 x 10 in. / 12.7 x 25.4 cm.

A juvenile egret is looking for small crabs and fish among the nearshore flotsam of seagrass and sargassum. This egret teenager still has some brown feathers which will change to white as it grows to full maturity. The Keys are home to many large wading birds like herons, anhingas, and ibis.