I was walking along the Click Ponds at the Viera Wetlands and this Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron suddenly flew from the edge of the pond. What a Surprise Flight!

The Black Crowned Night Heron is one of the most common herons and are found throughout most of the world. So why don”t you see them very often? They are Night Herons, nocturnal and typically feeding and flying at dusk and throughout the night. They are not usually seen during the day because they sit hunched and inactive, hiding during the daylight hours. They are frequently sitting in trees during the day, hiding behind branches and making themselves virtually invisible. I felt fortunate to capture this one in flight with the water behind him allowing me enough light.

I found this heron in the typical hunched, inactive position on the shore of a pond in Florida.  They are nocturnal, flying to feed at night and roosting in trees during the day.

He treated me to a close-up look on the ground  in broad daylight.  He let me appreciate his beautiful coloring and bright red eyes in detail.   When he was tired of  me, he flew across the pond, treating  me with these images.