Black-crowned Night-heron

 

Spotted this black-crowned night-heron roosting at the Tony Saprito Fishing Pier in downtown  Sarasota patiently -- and hopefully -- awaiting a handout. I suspect he knows he's handsome -- bloodshot eye and all.  What do you think?

Red Eye

I spotted this black crowned night heron near downtown. I couldn't help but wonder if he took the red eye to Sarasota.

Black Crowned Night Heron

And I thought I was having a bad hair day!  I encountered this adorable black crowned night heron at Hart's Landing near downtown Sarasota.  I'd like to say I'm such a proficient ornithologist that I immediately identified this guy; however, that would be a bit of a stretch.  I actually had a difficult time figuring out what type of feathered creature this is, despite searching online.  Then, I posted it to Flickr and had a positive ID from a birder within minutes.  How cool is that?!