Birding on Hilton Head Island and Pinckney Island NWR, SC…continued from Saturday’s post on the Tricolored Herons.
These little fellows were hidden much deeper in the branches than the Little Blue Heron chicks, so I had to work to get my camera to focus in on them (and the photos aren't that great). The baby Tricolored Herons do not have a white color morph like the Little Blues, but they do have a different color pattern than the adults. Immature Tricolored Herons have a chestnut brown head and neck with the scruffiest looking light brown feathers on the top of their heads that you can imagine. Truly, their crazy scruffy little head feathers are adorable and make you fall in love with them at first glance.
These three siblings were very sweet and not nearly as active as the Little Bue Heron chicks from the earlier post. Although a little larger than the Little Blue Heron chicks, I think they might have been younger. If I had stopped by a week later I bet they would have been scrambling all over the branches like the Little Blues were.
These little fellows were hidden much deeper in the branches than the Little Blue Heron chicks, so I had to work to get my camera to focus in on them (and the photos aren't that great). The baby Tricolored Herons do not have a white color morph like the Little Blues, but they do have a different color pattern than the adults. Immature Tricolored Herons have a chestnut brown head and neck with the scruffiest looking light brown feathers on the top of their heads that you can imagine. Truly, their crazy scruffy little head feathers are adorable and make you fall in love with them at first glance.
They are so well nestled among the green leaves
it's like we are peaking into a secret little world.
Let's zoom in on those little heads to see their crazy spindly head feathers.
These three siblings were very sweet and not nearly as active as the Little Bue Heron chicks from the earlier post. Although a little larger than the Little Blue Heron chicks, I think they might have been younger. If I had stopped by a week later I bet they would have been scrambling all over the branches like the Little Blues were.
They're adorable, Kelly, and so different from those while Little Blue Heron chicks. You got some great shots, as always. You really hit the jackpot with all those herons and egrets roosting at Pinckney Island. Great post!
ReplyDelete...Kyle....you said it perfectly. I hit the jackpot. Right time of the year....perfect water levels. I'm really feeling withdraw right now and my photos are about to run out! :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat adorable little creatures! Love the buzzy topknots.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly !! These photographs are really great.I must tell you your blog and post are fantastic..I love to see them again and again..Do check my another blog also i.e.Unseen Rajasthan
ReplyDeleteI love these guys! Their topknots really gives them a comical appearance. You did a beautiful job of capturing their secret little hideaway.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful, Kelly. And I gotta say-bad hair day!!
ReplyDelete:)
How sweet! And, how wonderful that you got a glimpse into that nest.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly,
ReplyDeleteWonderful post!!! Let's hope life will not ba too hard for them and that most of them will survive! babies are popping-up here too! This is just amazing to be able to witness these moments.
Those wild feathers remind me of a lot of children getting up out of bed with tousled hair - like the birds just woke up!
ReplyDeleteWonderful job catching a nearly impossible subject back in those trees!
Hmmmm... Looks to me like they were hiding out in the bush and waiting for the human to move off. I've noticed that not all birds are foolish enough to figure that if I don't move I'm part of the scenery and not there. I've had Great Egrets stare me down with that "yes I know you're there and I refuse to perform for you" glare. Heh, heh!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura's comment--they really have the "just rolled out of bed look!"
ReplyDeleteAnother great post Kelly, I loved the close up of the heads!
ReplyDeleteInteresting little birds. I didn't know they existed. Crazy hairdo's they have, but they're very cute. Photos are great.
ReplyDeleteMary...me too!! :-)
ReplyDeleteUnseen...thank you. I checked out the site. Gorgeous scenery!
Elaine...thanks...I know...they are little clowns.
Sue...haha! Bad hair day is right!
Jayne....I was on the other side of the water. I probably wouldn't have noticed them if they were white, but their dark feathers jumped out through the bright green.
Chris....I hope they survive too. They have to make it past that alligator before they leave for the wide world. I guess it's good training for them!
Laure...haha! You're right. The tousled-head look...
Roy...you're probably right. The birds on this island didn't seem to behave like other birds. I guess they felt safety in numbers, so I didn't see too much "freezing" behavior. I did get to see one Green Heron point his bill up in the sky pretending to be a reed, but all the other birds went about their business as if I weren't there. Ironic, I was farther away from these birds than any of the other birds.
Tutta....me too! :-)
Songbird...those spindly little head feathers were quite a sight.
Cindy...I think they are cute too!! Cute as buttons!
Love the little fuzzy heads.
ReplyDeleteBaby 'Rod Stewarts' lol
Hi Kelly. Nice photo's of the young Tri-Coloured Heron's, or should I say 'Louisiana Heron' as if was formerly known.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone else is saying... ADORABLE! Very nice photos Kelly!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet and quite shy looking. As you say, give them a week or so and I bet they'd have been more active. Do you have many more Pinckney posts for us to drool over? (-:
ReplyDeleteHi Kel, OH----aren't they just the cutest little birdies???? You did good getting their photograph---even though they were hiding from you...
ReplyDeleteWhat sweeties...
Hugs,
Betsy
Well done in capturing these little fuzzies in such a difficult location. FAB
ReplyDeletetalk about a bad hair day, those guys define it. enjoyed your photos
ReplyDeleteVery cool, Kelly. You've got some great sightings in! If I were on the trip, I would have so many lifers!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, love at first sight! What is it about a fuzzy head that is so darn loveable?!
ReplyDeleteKeith...haha...I think you're right!
ReplyDeleteKen...yes, indeed. They were formerly know as Louisiana Herons--just like they changed the name from Rufous-sided Towhee to Eastern Towhee (I think that's the new name.....) :-)
Thank you, John!!
Jenny....I have a few, but they are running out quickly. Actually...I have tons and tons (but they are all of the same birds, over and over). I'm running out of new species, but I still have a few to go!
Thankee Betsy! I have so many cute baby bird photos...I just love them, but if I post them all, I know everyone will get bored. I'll have to slip them in every now and then when the Pinckney Island series is over.
Thank you, Frank!! :-D I like your term "little fuzzies." I think I'll have to start using that, but I'll probably slap "cute" in front of it.
Chris...haha! Yes, sir. They are the definition of a bad hair day! Thank you...
Rene...I had a lot of lifers too. Just one gorgeous bird after another.
Heather.....who knows, but it is, and I'm not fighting it. Fuzzy heads rule! :-)
oh my..how adorable.with their little mohawk heads..
ReplyDeleteDawn....they are cute little Mohawk heads!
ReplyDelete