Afternoon Walk at Oakland Nature Preserve
January 5, 2024 - This Tricolored Heron looked as cold as I felt as I stood in the lake breeze on the dock.... Read more
Tricolored Heron
 | I’m a common, year-round bird of marshy areas. I like to go fishing, and I will stalk my food for hours. I look a lot like my cousin the Little Blue Heron, but he’s all blue and I’m multi-colored. Look for my white tummy and the brown on my back. Most Likely Found: At the beach, In a pond, In the marsh When: Year-Round Where I've photographed: Alligator Farm, Circle B Bar Reserve, Fort De Soto, Gatorland Rookery, Lake Apopka, Lake Morton, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Oakland Nature Preserve, Orlando Wetlands, Viera Wetlands Read more: Tricolored Heron at Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ebird: Tricolored Heron eBird range |
I have written 46 posts including a photo of a Tricolored Heron
Baby Birds Coming To Lake Morton
April 23, 2023 - This Tricolored Heron was fishing along the lake's edge.... Read more
Rich Found a Turtle at Orlando Wetlands
April 8, 2023 - Tricolored Herons emerged from the nesting area and flew towards the boardwalk.... Read more
More Fun from Orlando Wetlands
April 6, 2023 - Tricolored Herons were flying around like crazy that afternoon.... Read more
Sunset at Orlando Wetlands
March 18, 2023 - The Tricolored Herons and Little Blue Herons are building nests in the same place as the Roseate Spoonbills.... A few minutes later, this Tricolored Heron flew by.... Read more
Mid-July Visit to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
September 2, 2021 - This Tricolored Heron posed in the soft morning light.... Read more
Finding Your Cooties…what you see when you sit in one place
August 31, 2021 - A Tricolored Heron flew in next to the night heron.... Read more
Birds in Flight at Lake Apopka
July 15, 2021 - Last but not least is this Tricolored Heron.... Read more
Early June Bike Ride at Lake Apopka
July 13, 2021 - While I watched for bitterns, I enjoyed seeing other birds in flight - like this Tricolored Heron who flew over my head.... Read more
Easter Sunrise at Orlando Wetlands
April 28, 2021 - This Tricolored Heron did a little dance for me as he tried to spot his breakfast.... Read more
Flight Shots around Lake Apopka
September 6, 2020 - At the end, a pair of Tricolored Herons were playing Musical Railings.... Read more
Uncommon Cinnamon Teal at Merritt Island
February 12, 2020 - This Tricolored Heron was darting in and out of the mangrove, grabbing for fish for dinner.... Read more
A Walk Down Lust Road
February 6, 2020 - Tricolored Heron I watched for the Gray-headed Swamphens at their usual spot before the Crazy U, and I didn't see them.... Read more
Sunrise at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
January 12, 2018 - While I waited, I saw this Tricolored Heron working his way up and down the mangroves, searching for breakfast.... Read more
Viera Wetlands is Open Again!
November 24, 2017 - Wading birds like this Tricolored Heron flew to the tops of dead palm trunks, posed briefly, and then flew off squawking in their quest for breakfast.... Read more
Addicted to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
June 20, 2017 - There's a Tricolored Heron on Laughlin that reminds me of the Reddish Egret "drunken sailor" dance.... Read more
Springtime Stroll at Circle B Bar Reserve
March 2, 2017 - Just in time for me to photograph this Tricolored Heron, who was also sporting his breeding colors.... Read more
Winter Birds Returning to Orlando Wetlands Park
November 4, 2016 - We watched Great Egrets, Tricolored Herons, and Little Blue Herons stalking their prey and grabbing small minnows from the water.... Read more
Gatorland in Early April
April 23, 2016 - All the species were there: Great Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Anhingas, Double-Crested Cormorants, and Cattle Egrets.... The Tricolored Heron adults were also sporting their breeding colors with those crazy hairstyles.... Read more
Gorgeous Birds at Gatorland
April 17, 2013 - Tricolored Heron looking for a mate.... Tricolored Heron Yawn.... Read more
Slow Season this Year at the Gatorland Rookery
April 9, 2013 - The Great Egrets are nesting, but we saw very few Tricolored Herons or Snowy Egrets.... So my consolation prize was a good flight shot of a Tricolored Heron in good breeding colors.... Read more
A Morning at the Farm
May 15, 2012 - It's prime nesting season at the rookery now. The Great Egret chicks are pretty big. Tiny Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets are beginning to hatch. There are more Roseate Spoonbill nests than ever before. Everywhere you look, there are birds!... Read more
"Really Cool and Far Out"
May 12, 2012 - (Rich picked the title. I hope you agree with him.) This is a Fractalized image of two Tricolored Heron babies taken last weekend at the St.... Read more
Quiet Morning at MINWR
September 2, 2011 - The birds who did cooperate with me and pose on the right side of the road were the herons and egrets. They posed in the mangroves and went fishing. Most were Tricolored Herons, but a Reddish Egret flew in and had a territory dispute with one of the Tricoloreds. The…... Read more
Productive Morning at the Viera Click Ponds
July 23, 2011 - Bird Species List: (36 total): American Avocet, American Coot, Anhinga, Black Vulture, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Boat-tailed Grackle, Cattle Egret, Common Moorhen, European Starling, Glossy Ibis, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Greater Yellowlegs, Green Heron, Killdeer, Least Bittern, Least Sandpiper, Least Tern, Lesser Yellowlegs, Limpkin, Mottled…... Read more
Cloudy Morning at the Alligator Farm
June 25, 2011 - Juvenile Spoonbill head shot Michael and I must have spent half our time at the rookery watching this one nest of Tricolored Herons. There was one tiny chick, so ugly that he was adorable. Those little guys really look like they are having a bad hair day when they are…... Read more
Tiny Stilts and Willets at Merritt Island NWR
June 12, 2011 - Willet eating crab A Tricolored Heron was fishing in the nice morning glow. He squatted so low to the water as he stalked his prey. Then when he pulled up his fish, he aimed his head in my direction! How thoughtful of him.... Tricolored Heron with Fish I headed over…... Read more
Birds and Babies Everywhere at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
May 31, 2011 - Tricolored Heron chicks There is one Great Egret nest in the big oak tree, right at eye level with a not-too-cluttered background. The babies had just woken up when I noticed them, then Dad flew in with breakfast. Oh boy! They wiggled just as hard as they could with excitement. …... Read more
Incredible Morning at the Alligator Farm Rookery
May 14, 2011 - Augustine Alligator Farm's bird rookery. It's right at peak season and the rookery, and the activity is awesome! Some Great Egrets are still building nests, others have tiny babies, and still more have fledglings who know how to leave the nest but still haven't figured out how to feed themselves. …... Read more
Pebble Ridge Pond
March 24, 2011 - Rich likes to tease me about the JSW, the "Jess Standard Walk," which always includes a walk past the Pebble Ridge pond. A Tricolored Heron has been hanging out there a lot in the last few weeks. We also see him by the pond at the back of Spinnaker Cove....…... Read more
Quiet Morning at Fort De Soto
March 12, 2011 - Great Egret I went back to the North Beach and looked for warblers in the picnic area. I didn't see one. I went up the lagoon again, hoping that the Reddish Egret might have changed his mind about being antisocial. He hadn't. But I did find a pretty Tricolored…... Read more
Happy Hallo-wren at the Circle B Bar Reserve
November 1, 2010 - I turned around and saw this Tricolored Heron fishing at one of the culverts.... Tricolored Heron Hundreds of Anhingas and Double-Crested Cormorants flew overhead as they left their night roosting trees and took over off the marsh.... Baby Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks Species list: Anhinga, American Coot, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher,…... Read more
Activity Starting to Pick up at the Circle B Bar Reserve
September 12, 2010 - Here was my best Tricolored shot: Tricolored Heron I walked up quietly to a Great Blue Heron (a.k.a.... Eastern Wood-Pewee There was a Tricolored Heron posing in his favorite place where the Banana Creek merges with Lake Hancock.... Tricolored Heron It was pretty late by the time I made it…... Read more
Tricolored Heron
September 2, 2010 - This Tricolored Heron was posing on the Stoneybrook West clubhouse dock tonight.... Tricolored Heron... Read more
Migrants Making their Way to Circle B
August 28, 2010 - Pied-Bellied Grebe The usual Snowy Egret and Tricolored Herons were at the culverts, which were overflowing with water. The marsh water levels were so high today, after all the rain this week.... Tricolored Heron We looked up and saw some Laughing Gulls flying overhead. Then we saw some more. Overall…... Read more
Another Hot Morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve
July 31, 2010 - Tricolored Heron Last week the last part of the Alligator Alley trail was covered in Green Herons. Today, we only saw one. We didn't see any flycatchers or other birds in the trees, either. It's funny how the birding changes from week to week at Circle B.... Read more
Another beautiful morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve
July 18, 2010 - Common Moorhen juvenile and babies There seem to always be Tricolored Herons at the canals where the water flows through the marsh. Today was no exception.... Tricolored Heron Dyeyo and I walked all the way around the Eagle Roost to Wading Bird WAy. The Eagle Roost was deserted; the juvenile…... Read more
Fledglings are Starting to Leave Gatorland’s Bird Rookery
July 10, 2010 - Great Egret juvenile There were tiny babies in one Tricolored Heron nest, and I glimpsed them just before Mommy sat back down to brood them. I liked this quick shot of both babies peeking out from under Mama: Tricolored Heron babies The alligators kept splashing unexpectedly, disconcerting the photographers and…... Read more
Cloudy, Breezy Days are Great for Bird-Watching at Gatorland’s Bird Rookery
July 3, 2010 - This Tricolored Heron fledgling ventured out onto this branch and then watched as other fledglings flew over him.... Tricolored Heron fledgling The trees were covered in fledging Cattle Egrets.... Tricolored Heron feeding I wish I had used a faster shutter speed to freeze the action, but I guess there is…... Read more
Birds and Babies and Alligators, Oh my!
June 27, 2010 - Black-necked Stilts A Tricolored Heron posed for us on Wading Bird Way, too. We get our best great morning light shots down there!... Tricolored Heron There were more Common Moorhen babies on the way back on Marsh Rabbit Run. They posed so nicely in the bright sunlight, and I couldn't…... Read more
Editing Experiment
June 19, 2010 - I went to print one of my favorite rookery pictures from this spring, and it bothered me that the background clutter detracted so much from the portrait of the mother and baby Tricolored Heron. I love the way the baby is peeking out from under Mama, but it was easy…... Read more
Baby Roseate Spoonbills at the Alligator Farm
June 11, 2010 - There's another nest on the opposite side of the boardwalk. The babies in that nest are smaller, and they don't pop up as much. I was happy to get this shot: Baby Roseate Spoonbill A lot of the baby birds are fledglings now, wandering from their nests and posing at…... Read more
Spoonbills and baby birds at St. Augustine Rookery
May 8, 2010 - ...After hearing about all the roosting roseate spoonbills at the St. Augustine Farm Bird Rookery, Dyeyo and I decided that it would be worth the three hour drive to go see the spoonbill nests. When you first enter the rookery, you are on a boardwalk in between several large oak trees. In the tops of […] Read more
Baby Sand Hill Crane!
April 3, 2010 - Osprey nest At the corner of Marsh Rabbit Run and Wading Bird Way, this tricolored heron sat patiently fishing for his breakfast. He'd sit ever so still, watching, and then pluck his beak down into the water and come up with a nice tasty little fish. Dyeyo says that he's…... Read more
Our first visit to the Circle B Bar Reserve
November 8, 2009 - ...After hearing about the Circle B Bar Reserve from people in the Sierra Club, Dyeyo, Rich, and I decided that we needed to check it out. Boy were we surprised! People were not kidding when they said it is a wonderful place for birds. It’s a protected reserve in Polk County, and there are paths […] Read more
Baby Birds at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Bird Rookery
May 1, 2009 - Bird Nests and Photographers (Look at those Lenses!!) Great Egret Mommy and Babies Little Great Egrets Great Egret Feeding Baby Great Egret Babies Great Egret Babies Tricolored Heron on Nest Snowy Egret Wood Storks Cattle Egret There were some other birds at the zoo as well, much more colorful, but…... Read more