Rookery Photos of Little Blue Heron

I'm privileged to live near a rookery of Little Blue Herons. The "little" is part of their name, not just their description. Most people think of the Great Blue Heron and don't give much attention to the Little Blue Heron.

Here are my photos of the activity in the rookery. While taking these photos, I startled an alligator on the bank and he plunged into the small lake. He scared me too, as I hadn't noticed him until he made a big splash. I was a lot closer to him that I liked.

This first photos shows a young Little Blue Heron. It's a face that only a mother could love. Photo by Virginia Allain.

At this age, the Little Blue Heron is white

I pass by a small lake several times a week and noticed the blue herons landing in the trees and bushes with much flapping of wings. Curious about all the activity, I took my camera there a few days ago to get some pictures. I'd noticed white birds in the trees also and assumed they were egrets. I was surprised when I zoomed in on the birds to realize that the white birds were young, unfledged herons. All the flying in and out was from the adult herons bringing food to the young. Fascinating!

In the small pond adjacent to the rookery, I saw a variety of birds (anhingas and a pair of coots) The anhinga photo is one I took.

• They are called "blue" but to my eye, it is more of a slate blue. The neck can have a bit of a purple or wine colored tinge to it.
• Little is a good descriptive for these as they are more the size of the snowy egret or a cattle egret. The great blue heron is many times larger that the little blue.
• The beak is gray with a black tip to it.
• The young herons are almost as big as the parent but all white. They are scrawny looking since they aren't fully fledged and often the pin feathers on their head stick up in awkward ways. They have a rather manic look as they flap around in the rookery vying for the food the parent brings.

Learn what they eat, their range, nest building and other interesting facts.

Choose a waterbird guide to keep on hand. I never would have recognized the chicks of the little blue heron if I hadn't had a copy of Florida's Fabulous Waterbirds. At first glance, I thought they were egrets until I consulted the book.

After you vote, you'll be able to see the results.

The second video shows a rookery very much like the one in Poinciana where I took my photos.

I was disappointed to see few young birds at the rookery location this spring. Sure was hoping to get more photos of them.

There's a smaller colony across the water by the number seven tee box on the Cypress Golf Course (in Solivita which is in Poinciana, Florida).