A Little Blue Heron hunting in a swamp.

This bird is on the edge of an island, in a swamp. There are multiple small Herons and Snowy Egrets nesting here.

The island is not huge so it can be loud, and probably not too clean. However, the bushes and trees are dense which is how these birds like it.

The color of the Heron is the mating plumage, vivid deep purples and blues. Even the bill is a magenta. They fade to slate blue, but have striking color each spring.

Up until a year ago they all nested in a larger nearby swamp. They left and some came here, the old rookery is now empty. Every year things change.

With luck they will return to the old, bigger islands. They were a lot easier to photograph.