There is a nice active colony of Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons around the duck pond at the Palo Alto Baylands Refuge. As we were having a picnic lunch, we kept hearing a weird human-like sound that I had not heard before. We tracked the sounds and found that they were made by displaying Snowy Egrets. I believe this bird is exhibiting a primary courtship display called a stretch display, during which the male raises his plumes and pumps his body up and down while holding his bill pointed skyward and calling "A-wah-wah-wah." The lores briefly turn a reddish-pink at the height of the breeding season as seen here. This is the smaller E. t. brewsteri which breeds in the far western part of North America.
Panasonic DMC-LZ5 / Nikon FS 3 / 30XWA / hand-held, no adapter.