As the sun began to sink into the western sky, the birds at Manatee Springs State Park began coming in from all over and settling in for a well deserved rest. Many of them took perches in the last of the evening sunlight and preened, stretched, or even dozed off. Many of the birds that were perching in the trees were these beautiful little blue herons (Egretta caerulea). The adults, like this one, are a pretty deep blue with a mild purple tint to the head and neck. They look very similar to the reddish egrets, but they have a light bluish beak with a dark tip whereas the egrets have a pink bill with a dark tip this time of year. Little blue herons also have yellow legs whereas reddish egrets have dark legs. Interestingly, little blue herons are hatched out white and spend their first year with white feathers. In their second year they begin to turn blue and can be seen with a really lovely mottled white and blue combination. Either way, they are gorgeous and interesting birds.