When looking for little blue herons, don't be tricked by the name

An adult little blue heron Are you confused by the various white wading birds here in Florida? Well, add the little blue heron, Egretta caerulea, to your list of white birds.

"Little blues" sport white feathers through their first spring and summer and into fall, when they molt to a mix of bluegray and white plumes. During the next couple of molts, adults lose their white feathers and become true blue herons.

Juveniles in flight do show a touch of blue-gray on their wing tips, but this is not helpful when you spot a juvenile standing with folded wings.

So how do you distinguish a juvenile little blue from other white wading birds? Perhaps the easiest way is by its olive green legs and feet.

Little blues are 15 inches shorter than the great egret, which has black legs and feet and a yellow bill. The snowy egret is about the same size as a little blue but has yellow feet, and adults have black legs. The cattle egret is shorter than a little blue by 4-5 inches and much stockier. Cattle egrets are rarely seen in water; they primarily eat insects and frequent grassy areas from cow pastures to parking lots.

A juvenile little blue heron There are a couple of more points that help birders tell little blues apart from all the other white wading birds in these parts. The reddish egret, although 6 inches taller than the little blue and usually reddish, can hatch as a white morph — that is, it stays white through adulthood. Its legs are gray, however, and a white morph of the reddish egret is a much more active fisherman. Reddish egrets frequently chase fish, doing pirouettes in the process.

Identifying adult little blues, also called "blue cranes" or "levee walkers," can present another challenge. Adults have a slate blue body with purple tinged neck feathers. The reddish egret also has a slate blue body, but its neck plumage is rust-colored. An adult little blue also resembles the tricolored heron, but the front of the adult tricolored's neck is white, unlike the little blue or reddish egret.

Once you can identify a little blue heron, you will notice its unending patience when fishing. This bird easily stands still much longer than I can. At water's edge, it appears as a statue with its neck and head slightly forward. When a fish swims by, it grabs the fish with its sharp beak, almost quicker than you can see. Little

blues also like to eat frogs, small snakes, lizards, crayfish, fiddler crabs, shrimp and bugs of all sorts. These shy birds are loners when hunting. They walk quickly

more often they move with slow deliberation, placing each foot daintily in the marsh or along the shore.

You'll also enjoy watching elegant little blues fly. Holding their neck in an S-curve and with their legs extended backward, they flap their 40-inch wings gracefully and more rapidly than larger herons.

Little blues are one of several wading birds we see fishing along the Blackwater River at Collier-Seminole State Park. Those of you from New England might have seen little blues as far north as Massachusetts and on down the coast to Florida. They sometimes winter as far north as New Jersey, but more often migrate to warmer southern states. They also live in southern California and Texas.

During nesting time in the spring, little blues form colonies to protect their vulnerable eggs and chicks. Fish crows, large grackles and vultures prey on their eggs; and raccoons, dogs and cats are a threat to both eggs and chicks.

These birds are usually silent but can make a rather unpleasant croaking sound when courting and when threatened.

If you have not had the pleasure of watching these beautiful birds, come look for them at Collier-Seminole State Park. You won't be disappointed. Even if you miss finding a little blue, there are many other birds to enjoy here this time of year.

Lee B elanger is a v olunteer tr ail and

canoe guide at Collier-Seminole State Park.

To contact her, e-mail Lungwort@aol.com.

Grab a paddle in the park

Collier-Seminole State Park offers guided, narrated canoe tours several times a week from December through March. The three-hour trip is ideal for ages 6 and older. Two more outings remain on this season's schedule:

>>Saturday and Monday, March 28 and 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Paddle through mangroves along the Blackwater River and listen to stories of Seminole survival while keeping your eyes peeled for colorful crabs, tarpon and even manatees. Cost is $25 per person in your canoe or a park canoe. Reservations are required. The entrance to Collier-Seminole State Park is at 20200 U.S. 41 in East Naples. To sign up for a guided canoe trip, call Lee Belanger at 394-3397.