Herons and Egrets

The past few days I have been preoccupied with the blizzard that hit New England.  We received around 34" - 36" here.  That made for a lot of shoveling out and impassable roads.  Additionally, the birds have been scarce in the wake of the storm.  Accordingly, I offer a few shots from mid-2012 with an emphasis on herons and egrets.

Hybrid, or Tri-Color Heron?

This bird, labeled by some as a suspected hybrid, probably between a Little Blue Heron and a Tri-Color Heron, was spotted around Hammonasset State Park for several weeks during the mid-to-late summer.

There was some disagreement as to whether this was in fact a hybrid, or merely an immature Little Blue, or a true Tri-Color Heron.  Below is a transitional Little Blue for contrast.  (Little Blues are all white as young and gradually change.)

Note the particular distinctions from the "hybrid" above, especially the yellow at the root of the beak of the "hybrid."  While Juvenile Little Blues may exhibit some yellow coloration, it is not nearly as distinct as seen on the "hybrid" above.

Here is a shot of three different birds - a Great Egret (the large one), a Snowy Egret (the mid-sized one), and a juvenile Little Blue Heron.

This next bird is a Tri-Color Heron.

Note the prominent yellow at the root of the beak.  However, the yellow legs are brighter than on the "hybrid" above.  Also, note the underside of the wings and the body on the "hybrid" - other images of Tri-Colors show a more uniform white rather than the mottled coloration on the hybrid, which more closely resembles a transitional Little Blue.  But the fact that this image was taken roughly a month after the "hybrid" images indicates this may in fact be the same bird farther along in the maturation process.

Still, I am no expert, and it is quite possible that the "hybrid" above is nothing more than an immature Tri-Color.  Here is an image of a Tri-Color from the Yucatan that is exceptionally close to the "hybrid" above.

Here are some shots of a mature Little Blue Heron.

We conclude with some Snowy Egrets ...

... and a Great Egret.