Help to ID this bird

I have spent a hour looking for the ID of this bird..a small wader, I see them now and then...hard to see and harder to get a decent photo as they blend into the sun dapples on water so well..this was taken when it was raining. Shirley

It may well be a native species to the USA or only to that area of America. Then again it might even be a mixture of two types of heron. I doubt if anyone here can help as most of us are in the UK. I would suggest your best bet is to goggle something like " birds of the USA" or contact an Americian ornathologist and send them a copy of your picture.

Bazza

I'm fairly sure it's a young adult Little Blue Heron, they go from very pale to the darker blue grey of an adult. I see them at the back of my house by the creek, they become more and more mottled in dark patches until they are entirely dark.

Here is another photo of this bird that shows the beak better.

Moonstone, you may be right but the two don't associate at all...and I think the Little Blur Heron is slimmer in the body..there feed differently too...the LBH walks slow, leaning forward and grabs..like the Great Blue Heron does...

A picture of a Avocet has this color..but the beak doesn't seem the same...
This guy stands, looks around, until he sees something and then slowly grabs it. Shirley

Nice shots Shirley

Definitely not an Avocet, much too big....The Avocet is our Royal societies prevention for cruelty to birds emblem RSPB for short.
I am not sure what your bird is though Shirley, other than it possibly being a hybrid of some kind.

Just found this which looks very similar to me.( and is pretty close to you I think!)

http://virtua-gallery.com/wp/2009/05...le-blue-heron/

Heather

A google of Little Blue Heron juvenile images seems to confirm both Moonstone and Heathers ID.

Yes, it's a 2nd calendar year (rather than a juvenile) little blue heron

xx