The Black Crowned Night Heron juveniles were out of the nest when I visited the Heron Rookery on Old Hickory Lake today. This little guy was hanging out at the nearby boat dock with three other juveniles.
Sorry this image is so busy, but I just had to show you the other three juveniles hanging out on the boat dock. I wonder exactly when they begin to turn colors as adults. I'll have to look that up. Thankfully, I didn't have to get close to get this image as I had my long lens on my camera.
Later on one of the juveniles flew up into a nearby tree. The afternoon sun was getting low in the sky making for a really nice warm shot. I wished I could have been there when these little guys fledged the nest. All four of the juveniles looked to be a few months old at best. The parents were in the large Heron Rookery sitting on branches not far away and really didn't seem to care what the kiddos were up to. These last two weekends in Tennessee have been fantastic with temperatures in the mid eighties and lots of sunshine and blue skies. Oh, how I wished it would last. Hope you are having a great weekend. ENJOY!