Well, on my fifth day of walking in Carolina Beach Lake Park, the heron finally was sitting up and awake! I am quite certain now that he is in fact a Black Crowned Night Heron juvenile, especially because of his habit of sleeping all day! He has more the look of a night heron than the other pictures I have taken.
Now in amongst the zillion Coots, I spotted this duck who didn't look like anything I had seen before! He spent a lot of his time with his head down straining the water but I could tell he had a very large bill which was bigger at the end like the spoonbills. Finally I got a couple of shots that showed the bill a bit better. I had a tough time identifying him as he didn't look like the Northern Shoveler pictured in my book. Going through all the photos I took, I found one with different lighting and yes, the head is iridescent green! So a new bird for me!! This 3/4 mile walk around this empty drainage pond in the middle of the next town has certainly been amazing -- amost every day I have seen a new bird!
My Greater Yellowlegs was back and posed a bit for me!
Here he is again with his reflection.
I liked this Tri-Color Heron. I have seen these almost each time I have been to this park. He definitely saw something!
Even the domestic ducks (which are close relatives of the mallards) were awake and swimming on this nice warmer day.
The young pelicans were swimming along too.
Grebes were there yesterday and today again.
I promised no more Coots but this one was out of the water and they look sooo different on land -- much more like their close relative the Moorhen.
I couldn't resist this Great Egret and Snowy Egret posing on the mud flats.
Well, on my fifth day of walking in Carolina Beach Lake Park, the heron finally was sitting up and awake! I am quite certain now that he is in fact a Black Crowned Night Heron juvenile, especially because of his habit of sleeping all day! He has more the look of a night heron than the other pictures I have taken.
Now in amongst the zillion Coots, I spotted this duck who didn't look like anything I had seen before! He spent a lot of his time with his head down straining the water but I could tell he had a very large bill which was bigger at the end like the spoonbills. Finally I got a couple of shots that showed the bill a bit better. I had a tough time identifying him as he didn't look like the Northern Shoveler pictured in my book. Going through all the photos I took, I found one with different lighting and yes, the head is iridescent green! So a new bird for me!! This 3/4 mile walk around this empty drainage pond in the middle of the next town has certainly been amazing -- amost every day I have seen a new bird! 
My Greater Yellowlegs was back and posed a bit for me!
Here he is again with his reflection.
I liked this Tri-Color Heron. I have seen these almost each time I have been to this park. He definitely saw something!
Even the domestic ducks (which are close relatives of the mallards) were awake and swimming on this nice warmer day.
The young pelicans were swimming along too.
Grebes were there yesterday and today again.
I promised no more Coots but this one was out of the water and they look sooo different on land -- much more like their close relative the Moorhen.
I couldn't resist this Great Egret and Snowy Egret posing on the mud flats.
Thank you! This post made me wish I was walking along with you.
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