Southern for "Wild Thing"
This Great Blue Heron was doing something I had never seen one do before. Taking a bath. I have seen them wade up to their chest in water after prey, but this one was taking a bath, and enjoying every second of it. I watched it do this for several minutes and then it climbed up on a tree limb and shook like a dog, and then stood there drying of, looking even wilder. I enjoyed it almost as much as it did, I think. (smile)
This all happened in the Homosassa River. Citrus County, Florida.

Tags:   Great Blue Heron Wild Thang Wild Thing bird birds florida feather outside wildlife nature Citrus County animal bath water Homosassa River USA US North America Gary Helm canon Sx50hs reflection spring springs wet dry off shake wild outdoor ghelm4747

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This is Wild Thang after he (she) climbed up on a log to dry off after Taking a bath in the Homosassa River, Citrus County, Florida. (See previous shot)

Tags:   Wild Thang Wild Thing bird birds Great Blue Heron outside nature wildlife Florida feathers Gary Helm Citrus County Homosassa River Drying off log climbing bath USA US animal North America America East coast Swamp marsh water fly canon sx50hs birding birdwatching wading birds Florida Birds wetlands feeding outdoor ghelm4747

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The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron has an enormous range reaching up to roughly 4.2 million square kilometers. This bird can be found much of Central America, the Caribbean and throughout North America as well. It also has a vagrant population in Berumda. This species appears in forested areas and wetlands such as bogs, marshes, swamps and freshwater lakes, and also in intertidal areas and salt marshes. The global population of this bird is estimated to be around 85,000 to 160,000 individuals.

I found this one along Alligator Alley, at Circle B Bar Reserve.
Polk County, Florida.

Tags:   Wildlife nature outside Florida Animal Animals USA US woods forest Swamp marsh water bird birds fly feather Gary Helm Central Florida Polk County Lake Wales backyard Circle B Bar Reserve Alligator Alley Heron Hideout Raptor hawk canon SX50 wild hog birding birdwatching wading birds Florida Birds wetlands feeding Dragonfly Yellow-crowned Night-Heron outdoor ghelm4747

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The Tricolored Heron is an extremely active long-necked and long-billed bird. It has slate blue feathers on most of its body except for a white chest and belly and a rust-colored neck. It has long yellow legs, a white stripe that runs up its neck. They have a long pointed yellow bill, which turns blue during mating season. Its slender build and legs allow it to wade gracefully, stalking its prey.

The Tricolored Heron can be found in marshes, swamps, bayous, mudflats, lagoons and coastal ponds on the Gulf Coast and on the Atlantic Coast from Florida to southern Maine. It has been designated as a species of Special Concern in Florida. Their breeding population has been declining since 1976 due to
loss and degradation of wetlands in coastal areas.

Fun Facts:
• When the Tricolored Heron senses danger nearby in the reeds or high grasses, it may conceal itself by standing erect with its bill pointed toward the sky in order to blend in with its surroundings.
• No other dark herons have a contrasting white belly.
• When stalking small fishes in shallows, it crouches with it’s legs bent almost double or runs rapidly, wings partly raised, sometimes stretching one foot far forward and vibrating foot rapidly along bottom to flush prey.

I found this one along Heron Hideout at Circle B Bar Reserve.
Polk County, Florida.

Tags:   sx50Circle B Bar Reserve Thursday Wildlife nature outside Florida Animal Animals USA US woods forest Swamp marsh water bird birds fly feather Gary Helm Central Florida Polk County Lake Wales backyard Circle B Bar Reserve Alligator Alley Heron Hideout Raptor hawk canon SX50 wild hog birding birdwatching wading birds Florida Birds wetlands feeding North America America Tricolored Heron outdoor ghelm4747

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The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is unique amongst herons as it is the only species with two distinct colour morphs for mature and immature birds, with the adult bird being mostly slate-blue and the immature almost entirely bold white . A medium-sized heron with a long neck and a thin, pointed, slightly downward-curving bill the adult little blue heron also has a purplish to maroon-brown head and neck and a small white patch on the throat and upper-neck. During the breeding season, the head becomes more dark grey in colour, while the bill becomes more heavily black-tipped and the normally greyish-green legs turn to black. Long, tapering, conspicuous feathers also develop on the crest and back of breeding birds. The male and female adult little blue heron are similar in appearance, but the juvenile is markedly different, with yellowish-green legs and mostly white plumage except for pale slate-grey primary feathers. The immature bird starts to develop adult plumage during its first spring when it becomes mottled blue and white, such that it has the appearance of tie-dye.

I found this Immature Little Blue in its first spring, along Alligator Alley.
Circle B Bar Reserve. Polk County, Florida.

Tags:   Little Blue Heron Immature bird birds wildlife feathers Polk County Central Florida Canon sx50hs swamp Alligator Alley Circle B Bar Reserve USA US outside water wading birds animal Gary Helm outdoor ghelm4747 nature

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