Tag Archives: tricolored heron

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Tricolored Heron encounter at Ft.Fisher NC

By Sally Siko

Check out this gorgeous Tricolored Heron. I spotted him a couple days ago while birding in the Wilmington area at Ft.Fisher NC.


I’d just finished photographing a Coopers Hawk when I spied this guy hanging along the edge of a small pond (more like a big puddle) in the marsh.
For the most part the heron stayed still as a stone until it let out a big yawn, then started staring intently into the water below. After about a minute it shot its bill into the water striking at a fish. Unfortunately the heron came up empty yet remain undeterred in its focus to catch another meal.
What a beauty!



Though Tricolored Herons are a year round resident of North Carolina, they are technically a migratory species which tend to over winter here in lesser numbers than which are found during the summer.
They prefer to hunt and nest in salt and brackish water areas such as tidal marshes and mudflats found along our coastlines (the habitat here at Ft.Fisher is absolutely ideal) but Tricolored’s may also occasionally be spotted looking for a meal in freshwater environments (especially marshes & shallow ponds) in the inland areas of eastern part of the state.

Photos by Sally Siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

A Tricolored Heron in Murrells Inlet South Carolina

By Sally Siko

Whenever I travel to the coast to go birding, I’m always happy to catch a glimpse of a Tricolored Heron.
These guys are beautiful birds and are interesting to watch while hunting for a meal.



I found this one earlier this month while birding at Huntington Beach State Park, SC.
Head moving from side to side, he moved through the water slowly, scanning the surface like a cat stalking it’s prey. When the heron spotted a fish, he froze momentarily as he lined up his shot, then struck into the water like a dart.
I’d estimate his catch rate at about 70% which wasn’t bad considering most of the fish I’d seen were small minnows.



Though Tricolored Herons are a year round resident of North Carolina, they are technically a migratory species which tend to over winter here in lesser numbers than which are found during the summer.
They prefer to hunt and nest in salt and brackish water areas such as tidal marshes and mudflats found along our coastlines but Tricolored’s may also occasionally be spotted looking for a meal in freshwater environments (especially marshes & shallow ponds) in the inland areas of eastern part of the state.
One has even showed up earlier this month in the Raleigh area (central part of the state) which was pretty neat!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Tricolored Herons in eastern North Carolina

Whenever I travel to the coast to go birding, I’m always happy to catch a glimpse of a Tricolored Heron.
These guys are beautiful birds and are interesting to watch while hunting for a meal.



I found this one last summer while birding at the North Pond at the Pea Island NWR.
Head moving from side to side, he moved through the water slowly, scanning the surface like a cat stalking it’s prey. When the heron spotted a fish, he froze momentarily as he lined up his shot, then struck into the water like a dart.
I’d estimate his catch rate at about 70% which wasn’t bad considering most of the fish I’d seen were small minnows.



Though Tricolored Herons are a year round resident of North Carolina, they are technically a migratory species which tend to over winter here in lesser numbers than which are found during the summer.
They prefer to hunt and nest in salt and brackish water areas such as tidal marshes and mudflats found along our coastlines but Tricolored’s may also occasionally be spotted looking for a meal in freshwater environments (especially marshes & shallow ponds) in the inland areas of eastern part of the state.
One has even showed up this summer in the Raleigh area (central part of the state) which was pretty neat!


Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds