A Certain Shade of Yellow

For the past few weeks yellow lotus has been blooming en masse in areas of Payne's Prairie where the season's exceptionally high water has created open pools in the otherwise vegetated expanse.

The yellow blooms of this common freshwater aquatic, as seen in the summer sunshine evoke the yellow seen in the belly plumage of a common seasonal bird resident in these parts: the Great Crested Flycatcher. A family of this species is to be seen most afternoons lately, flailing about in the dusty sand at the very entrance to our driveway in Evinston, Florida. One young bird is particularly bold, and waits until the last possible second before flitting off and lighting on a close branch or hanging fox grape vine until my truck passes by. I won't speculate on the sex of this cheeky and brave bird.