Welcome to June everyone! Admittedly I am a bit behind – things are… hmmm… let’s go with “normal” for Intrigued… translated… running around like headless chickens trying to get everything that needs to be done between the runs. I naively thought there would be an abundance of time after I retired, nope! This month is especially demanding as it is the last month of hard training before the first ultra of the season scheduled for the first week of July (link here). Heat conditioning, hydration/nutrition validation and worst of all, 20+ mile brutal hill runs … my body can’t wait until taper. While I ice to keep the black and blue bruising out of my legs, will turn the post duties over to Brad to tell us about a different kind of blue.
…take it away Brad!
It’s not really an imposter, but the name for this nearly white bird doesn’t seem to fit very well. A little while ago I wrote about the great blue heron (link here). This one is about a smaller heron cousin: the little blue heron (Egretta caerulea), another +1. This is a juvenile version of the little blue heron. No, not a middle-school type of juvenile making fart jokes. I’m talking about the juvenile variety that doesn’t have its adult plumage yet. Contrary to what the name implies, the only thing blue on this little heron at this point is the end of its bill. For now. Its feathers will turn darker blue in its second year and look similar to a smaller version of the great blue heron. The only coloring kept from childhood into adulthood is the bill and greenish legs. The white feathers are replaced by a purple-maroon colored neck and a dark slate-blue-colored body. Until their darker adult plumage grows in, they are very easy to spot in their surroundings.
Hit the jump to read more about this incognito wader.
We spotted this little blue heron at Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina on a warm day in February. (And by warm, I mean warm even by South Carolina standards for February. The predicted high temperatures while we were there approached 80F each day.) We were standing on one of the observation platforms near the causeway on a nice sunny morning. The little blue heron was standing motionless near the weeds at the edge of the brackish pond right next to the causeway.
The little blue heron is a wading bird. They move slowly and stately around the water looking for prey. Little blue herons hunt their prey while nearly motionless. They stand perfectly still above water while using their feet to slowly disturb prey hiding underwater.
At this stage of its development, there’s not much blue in our little blue heron. For juveniles, the blue on their bill is obvious, as are the greenish legs. Juveniles regularly forage with snowy egrets and it may be difficult to tell them apart at a casual glance.
See what I mean? At first glance, they are easily confused with the snowy egrets. Little blues have mostly blue bills while snowy egrets have mostly black bills with yellow near the head. The little blue heron has “smoother” white feathers while the snowy egret has “fluffier” white feathers. Their legs are also different colors, but that’s not easy to see while they are wading and backlit. The big difference is the color of their feet. Snowy egrets have bright yellow feet on black legs while little blue herons have greenish feet to match their greenish legs. Juvenile little blues are tolerated by snowy egrets; the adult versions are not. We did not see any adult little blue herons. They must have all been home sleeping because all we saw were unsupervised juveniles.
Using my fantastic bird language interpretation skills, I can pretty much decipher this one is telling me, “It’s right there! I know there’s a fish right there! Can’t you see it?!”
Like other herons and egrets, the little blue sometimes practices canopy feeding. It will spread its wings creating a bit of shade on the water. Small fish will swim to the shade. When the little blue finds a fish it wants to get to know better, it will strike.
I think this one is looking for a quick snack, although the shade is on the wrong side. I guess that’s why they have to practice this technique.
Little blue herons are monogamous breeders, meaning each bird only breeds with one mate during a season. A pair will tend 3 to 5 eggs laid in April. The eggs hatch 21-24 days later. The chicks stay with their parents for 6-7 weeks, then they are on their own. They grow up so fast . . . sigh.
With a consistent source of food, and success avoiding hazards and predators in their environment, a little blue heron can live up to 14 years in the wild. Predators of little blue herons include raptors, coyotes, and cougars. Their eggs, if found, are mostly devoured by ravens, raccoons and crows.
I think this little blue heron wants us to leave now. It’s going to stare at its reflection in the water. The little blue turns its back on us to watch for something to eat and to ignore us until we go away.
Thank you for reading. If you want to see more bird photos from our South Carolina winter escape, please visit here.
Credits
Thanks again to Jan and Allyson for proofreading and editing. Thanks to Jan for some of the photos in this article.
Life Intrigued 