On one of my many trips to the state of Florida to photograph wildlife, here is a Tricolored Heron that was very cooperative for me. I was actually sitting at a park in Boynton Beach, Florida with a friend of mine and this Tricolored Heron flew in and landed about 20ft from me giving me a good opportunity to photograph it. The Tricolored Heron is a sleek and slender heron adorned in blue-gray, lavender, and white. The white stripe down the middle of its sinuous neck and its white belly set it apart from other dark herons. This fairly small heron wades through coastal waters in search of small fish, often running and stopping with quick turns and starts, as if dancing in a ballet. It builds stick nests in trees and shrubs, often in colonies with other wading birds. It’s common in southern saltmarshes and was once known as the Louisiana Heron. Here are the photos of the tricolored Heron

Some cool facts about the Tricolored Heron are provided by "The Cornell Lab of Ornithology" website

1. Tricolored Herons sometimes follow behind Double-crested Cormorants or Pied-billed Grebes snapping up fish that they stir up

2. Angsty teenagers aren't just a human phenomenon. As Tricolored Herons get older they often lunge and snap at their parents when they arrive at the nest with food. To appease the youngsters, parents greet them with bows

3. The oldest recorded Tricolored Heron was at least 17 years, 8 months old when it was shot in the Bahamas in 1976. It had been banded in Virginia in 1958

My camera equipment:

Canon EOS 60D body

Canon EF-S 18-135mmf/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM for Canon EF mount

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di Vc USD Lens for Canon

All photos are handshot, no tripod

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read this post. Have a great day/night wherever you may be. God bless you