Little Blue Heron
A more predictable bird along the San Diego County coastline than in past decades. Image 1 was taken in Mission Bay, San Diego, California of an adult with pipefish prey, Image 2 was taken at the San Diego River mouth, and Image 3 is of a juvenile bird in Imperial Beach, south San Diego County, California.
Tricolored Heron
A rare visitor to San Diego County, Image 1 is of a bird photographed at the San Diego River mouth. Images 2 and 3 were taken at South Padre Island, Texas, where the species is much more abundant.
Great Blue Heron
Image 1 is from South Padre Island, Texas. Image 2 is of bird in low light at Lake Cuyamaca, California. Images 3 - 7 are of nestlings in a Jeffrey Pine in the Cuyamaca Mountains, California (Photographed on September 5, 2023). Image 8 is of one of the parents at the nest, just after feeding the nestlings shown in the previous image. The adult bird looks somewhat thin and delicate, likely after weeks of feeding its hungry brood. The three nestlings are engaged in a "brawl" after being fed. Image 9 is of a likely parent of the young birds in the previous images, taking a break from hunting and parenting in a nearby Jeffrey pine. Images 9 - 13 are of adult birds at Lake Cuyamaca, California. The last two images are of an adult after preening, exhibiting the "flasher" pose and a wings-open pose before assuming the flasher pose. The last image is of an adult flying to a nest at Lake Cuyamaca.
Black-crowned Night Heron
These birds were photographed at Lindo Lake, Lakeside, California. Herons and egrets of various species are very fond of this lake!
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
This is a "rare" bird in Southern California, but some are breeding in certain areas, now. This bird was photographed hunting near a breakwater in Imperial Beach, California, in July of 2024.
Great Egret
Image 1 was photographed at Lindo Lake, Lakeside, California. Images 2 - 5 were photographed at Lake Cuyamaca, San Diego County, California, where the egrets like to perch in Jeffrey Pines, and hunt in the "back lake".
Snowy Egret
A very common species, Image 1 was photographed at the San Diego River mouth, San Diego, California. Image 2 is from just south of Imperial Beach, California. Images 3 through 7 are from Lindo Lake, Lakeside, California, where Snowy Egrets have a breeding rookery. The egrets with pink lores are in "breeding colors". Image 8 was taken on the cliffs near La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California. Image 9 was taken near the Salton Sea, California.
Reddish Egret
Another rare, but predictable bird in small numbers along the San Diego coastline.
This one was fishing at the San Diego River mouth, San Diego, California.
White-faced Ibis
These were photographed in the early morning at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR in winter.
