Tricolored Herons are year-round residents of the Gulf Coast and generally as far north as Virginia, preferring bayous, coastal ponds, salt marshes, and swamps.  I found this pair in a salt marsh along the east Texas coast one winter’s day.  That morning, the marsh was full of wading birds of all types- Roseate Spoonbills, various Herons and Egrets, Yellowlegs, Willets, etc.

The coastal salt marsh where I was camped is comprised of numerous tiny ponds surrounded by marsh grasses and reeds.  In a story as old as the marsh itself, each morning a mixed flock of wading birds suddenly descends on a pond, and frantically spend the next 15-20 minutes quickly gobbling up any fish or crustacean they can find, sometimes coveting whatever their neighbor has managed to snag.  At this point, if the treasure (such as a crab or big fish) is too large to be easily swallowed, a fast game of “Keep-Away” quickly ensues as the lucky bloke suddenly becomes the object of great interest.  At that point, the race is on, weaving this way and that, trying to avoid the army of followers, with the choice to either stop and try desperately to swallow the prey (and possibly run the risk losing it to another), or dash madly on!  It’s quite interesting (and comical) to follow all the social interactions.  Then, as suddenly as it began, and as if by some magic signal (“No more food left here”), the birds all lift off as one mass, flying across the marsh to the next tiny opening in the salt grass.

By mid-morning, things in the marsh quiet down, and the pace of life slows considerably, leaving time for birds to stand on the boardwalk railings to preen and rest.  But as you can see from this painting, not everyone is totally settled down or ready to share their quiet spot, as here one heron is ousting another!

The Texas coast is truly a magnet for both winter birds and enthusiastic snow birders alike!