A Little Blue Heron was looking dapper beyond some swaying Spanish Moss.
The thick grass at the pond edge made a nice backdrop.
Little Blue Heron, Standing Around
Tag Archives: Little Blue Heron
Juvenile Little Blue Heron
Some of this year’s juvenile Little Blue Herons are still hanging around the swamp, now on their own. The parents have moved on, no longer providing meals.
I was not expecting him to fly and he almost flew out of my frame. I liked the fall-ish background so kept the image even without much leading space in front of the bird.
He didn’t go very far and when I rounded a corner on the trail he was in front of me again.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron
A juvenile Little Blue Heron struck a pose in a dead tree snag just off the pond.
He’s mottled, rather like the sky behind him. Little Blues turn from solid white to blue gradually between one and two years old.
August 4, 2020
Juvenile Little Blue Heron Flight School
The last few groups of this year’s juvenile Little Blue Heron are learning to fly.
It was a dull day and the adult Little Blue doesn’t show up that well, but it was fun to watch.
The little fellow wasn’t that interested. Maybe he knows this is the end of “food delivery by mama”.
After unsuccessfully trying to lure the youngster upward, finally the adult tried pushing.
Junior flew out onto a nearby branch. Now what do I do?
A juvenile from another nest shows how it is done.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron Hunting, 2
Not far from where I saw Juvenile Little Blue Heron Hunting this fellow was feeding more out in the open and may even be the same bird.
He was catching little creepy-crawly things in the shallow water, swallowing before he lifted his head.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron Hunting
A juvenile Little Blue Heron poked along the edge of a pond in between some Cypress knees looking for a meal.
He quickly swallowed a couple of small finds.
After a bit he flew up onto a bridge railing and showed off his mottled blue coloration. Sometime in their second year the Little Blues become fully blue.
Little Blue Heron Getting Lunch, Rear View
I missed the Little Blue Heron catching his lunch, but did see him wrestling a bit with it.
Seeing the action from behind the bird gave an interesting view of the fish.
Finally, lined up correctly…
… and down the hatch.
Little Blue Heron Landing Pad
Herons like to land on things sticking out of the water rather than jumping right in if possible.
Sticks, rocks, and yes I’ve seen them land on Alligators.
This time the landing pad turned out to be a log.
The nearby Alligator didn’t seem to pay much notice as the Little Blue strutted by.
However, as the Little Blue turned, the Alligator sunk down.
Certainly the Little Blue Heron is not a threat to the Alligator, but he may not know that.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron On The Hunt
If this juvenile Little Blue Heron’s presence was any indication this pond-side vegetation must harbor a lot of snacks.
Last spring I spotted him feeding here every time I passed by for several weeks in a row.
Step and poke, back and forth.
Success! A bird this size has to find an awful lot of small creatures to consume to survive– a full time occupation.
April 15, 2019
Little Blue Heron: Ready, Rouse, Gone
This Little Blue Heron landed on the boardwalk railing for a look around.
I hoped to get closer but knew when he “roused” he be taking off soon.
And he did, flying quite close to me showing off his blue.
He didn’t go far, landing in the tall marsh grasses just off the boardwalk.
April 10, 2019
Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant, SC