In late July, as we drove slowly down the road at the wildlife refuge, I was excited to spot an adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron walking around on the floor of the swampy woods. It was quite shy, staying close to the cover of trees and vines as protection from prying eyes.
In early August, when we drove this road once again, we glimpsed the shadow of a large bird as it took flight from the forest floor and settled in a distant tree. This time it was a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. With its spotted brown feathers and streaky underparts, it did an excellent job of blending in with the background of the branches and foliage. Had I not seen where it landed, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to find it among the trees.
“Scientists have found the gene for shyness. They would have found it years ago, but it was hiding behind a couple of other genes.” ~Jonathan Katz
walking on a country road 
Love the curious demeanor of that youngster!
Me too, Sam. 🙂
They are such magnificent birds aren’t they. Your photos are stunning.
Yes, they are. They are quite a treat to see. Thanks, Kathy.
That looks like the perfect place for Yellow-crowns 😁😁
I think so — plenty of crustaceans for them to live on and places to hide.
Good spotting!
Lucky to be in the right place at the right time. 🙂
My goodness, that shy Juvenile blends into the foliage perfectly – it looks like its mom taught it well how to hide from humans!
It really does. I took my eyes off of it for just a minute and wasn’t able to locate it again.
They are quick – Mom probably gave it a stern look for getting away from the foliage cover.
Seeing a large bird like that in close quarters seemed odd. It might be the perspective?
Normally they prefer more open areas in case they need to flee.
Beauty shots Rebecca!
Thanks, Wayne! Their status says that they are fairly common in forested wetlands of West Tennessee. The refuge provides plenty of room for them to quickly disappear into the wooded areas. I also saw an adult in this same area last year. Crayfish are plentiful in the swampy water when we’re not in a dry season.
beautiful creatures!
Love that quote, Rebecca 😉. Wow, you have sharp eyes to spot these very elusive herons! Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks! Elusive indeed, but well worth the search.
Definitely!