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Four Seasons Blvd./ Henderson County,NC



C'Birders,
       This afternoon at 2:30 I stopped on the Blvd. to see if the
Little Blue Heron was still present in the marsh.
I scanned about, saw three Great Blues, and then the Little Blue (in
immature plumage). However, at the far right end of the marsh, I saw
another large white bird with a yellow bill which I assumed was a great
Egret. I set up my scope to check the bird out, but he was standing in
some tall grass, so I couldn't see his legs. I waited a few minutes, and
he conveniently flew into an open area where he was fully visible. When
I got him in the scope again, I saw immediately that the legs were not
the black ones of the egret. They were colored buffy-gray. I realized
that I was actually viewing a Great White Heron (Sibley, page 60).
 
This morph of the Great Blue is normally seen in lower FL, very rarely
north of Jacksonville. However, two summers ago, at about the same time,
a single Great White appeared on the golf course in Brevard where my
condo is situated. Coincidentally,I happened to be the one to identify
that bird. He remained present on the course for over four months, so I
saw him many.many times. There is no doubt in my mind that the bird I
observed today is virtually identical to the one I saw two years ago.
According to Sibley, the buffy-gray coloration is evidence of a juvenile
bird, which would be consistent with post-breeding dispersal activity.
Hopefully, he will remain for a time so that local birders will get a
look.  

Tom Joyce
Brevard, NC