ardeinae's Favorites

This image is part of an observation I made a couple of days ago, but there was so much going on, including three different avian species, that it merits further comment. Here I am focusing on a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (seen in the background) as it peeks out of the brush at a much larger Great Blue Heron, attempting to drive off a Red-shouldered Hawk which has landed on the island. A discarded shopping cart and other assorted trash, washed down the river by a recent storm, adds to the sense of discord, as does the turbulent water boiling in the background. Interesting to note, the hawk remained calmly on the fallen branch throughout the display (which included lots of loud squawking) until the large heron quieted down, before flying off.
So how is this observation about the Night Heron? I simply could not get over the look of that juvenile bird reacting to the conflict.

Hmmm...at first I thought I had my first calico Little Blue Heron. But Sibley says (link below) they don't get their first blue feathers until March. And then...this bird has yellow lores, and also has black-fronted yellowish legs that he says are diagnostic for the Snowy. The bill also looks more like a young Snowy than a Little Blue. The bird had just flown in, so I didn't get to see its foraging style.

Possible hybrid? But that wouldn't explain why a young Blue x Snowy is showing blue so early. Another hybrid suggested in last link below is a Tricolor x Snowy. I would think blue feathers would be permanent and make sense in a younger bird like this.

Am I missing something obvious?

https://www.sibleyguides.com/2012/08/distinguishing-immature-white-little-blue-heron-from-snowy-egret/

https://www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2021/8/17/hybrid-snowy-egret-x-little-blue-heron-at-burnham-prairie-nature-preserve

Local residents...

Bert had Ethel hopping mad. He showed up empty handed... She ruffled her feathers, stood up, deployed her massive wings, hopped up and down on the perch, then turned her attention to Bert and squawked at him till he left

This (young?) Eastern Phoebe would not leave me alone for 10 minutes. It landed on my phone and made many attempts to land on my straw hat.

Video of it on the railing, singing for/at me:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W1KhB_LhUKh2aWWsl0m_OuzIfSZVmx7-/view?usp=share_link

Video of it trying to land on my hat:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18yQiNH1Bwyn7ckK-n4l2q0NbPJHLbuhx/view?usp=share_link

Maybe this bird was raised under the eaves of a house and it got used to humans?? I've never had an interaction like this. Phoebe-bombed!

I was too busy taking pictures of killifish to notice the great egret about to steal away a gallinule's chick- I was alerted by the sound of frenzied wingbeats and splashing from the parent trying to fight for the chick, but alas, it was all for naught.

Lugar: Playa Carola, San Cristóbal, Galápagos

Hora: Alrededor de las 8:50 AM

Descripción: La garza se encontraba picotendo en el suelo a la iguana juvenil, al parecer primero picoteaba la cabeza para sacrificarla antes de ingerirla por completo. El evento no duro ni 2 minutos, al final la garza se acerco al mar a beber un poco agua salada.