Still Learning
It was grey, overcast and kind of a quiet morning over at the salt marsh today. We saw a pair of adult bald eagles but they stayed on the far back edge, while an immature eagle was busy very high up shadowing an osprey. The osprey didn’t have a fish, the young eagle was likely just practicing being an annoyance to the osprey. Many wood storks were out flying in all directions along with some ibis and snowy egrets.
We did however see this juvenile night heron busy in the mud flats at low tide snatching up some tiny crabs which were skittering about the area. Crabs are among the favorite food of night herons but this youngster has to start somewhere and soon it will be going after the larger crabs as it ages and gains more experience.
Phil Lanoue Photography 
Ottimi scatti come sempre, il giovane airone è proprio carino 🙂
Ciao, Patrizia
Si tratta di un giovane airone molto carino 😀
Grazie Pat
Wonderful series!
Thanks much glad you liked those!
That’s a very young one!! Great capture!
It sure is a youngster, you can see some stray downy head feathers. 😀
Thanks for looking!
Great shot, Phil! ~ amy
Thanks very much, glad you liked the photos of this unusual young heron. 🙂
He looks like i feel sometimes. I just wanted to hold him. ~amy
Awww.. what a cute little darlin’.
Oh he’s plenty cute all right, just look at those wisps of downy head feathers. 😀
Great photos, a very special bird for me!
Thank you Hans, I don’t see these birds out very often especially in the morning.
Another magic series of educational photography, the images tell the story so well, and your words finish the story to perfection.
I really like how the bird’s plumage and the background color and patterns complement each other. And the bird looks so vulnerable, too, even though it is a predator. Very nice shots.
I had no idea what this bird was due to its age. These are wonderful photos of the Night Heron. He looks like he is having a bad hair day.
What a sweet youngster, Phil. He does look a little unsure of himself, but at least he got some snacks. 🙂
Beautiful shots. His eyes seem to get brighter the more he chews.
Wonderful shots Phil
What a little love! He looks a little worried, though.
He is beautiful with all of his triangular spots on him.
He has such a pretty feather. Wonderful clarity,Phil!
I love these. He’s almost monochrome all over, but then bam! that orange eye hits you. I like his scraggly proto-crest and how worried he looks eating that crab, like, “This thing seems awfully sharp – is this really what I’m supposed to do?”
These are just lovely Phil! 🙂
He’s quite cute, and very much full of the “youngster” look. Colors and detail are really fun. And, of course, I obsess on their eyes!
These shots are so unusual and so wonderful. There is a kind of awkwardness and vulnerability that comes through in your images of this young bird that is endearing.