Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXV

Next up a rare bird to Southern Arizona, the Tricolored Heron. Usually restricted to the Atlantic coastline from Virginia around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. It is also found along the Gulf of California in Mexico. But for some reason every couple of years one shows up at a Golf Course Pond in Tucson. Such was the case in 2018:

Tricolored Heron

Tricolored Heron

Every once in a while a Tricolored Heron makes an appearance in a small pond next to a golf course in Tucson. The last time I was aware of it was in July of 2014. But here, four years later he's there at that small pond again.

The vegetation around the pond is much thicker now, and there are not many openings to peek through. That being the case the heron has to be visible from that spot in order to see it (or photograph it). Still I was able to get a few photos:

First, here is the Tricolored Heron with a Dragonfly:

Here giving me a nice profile:

And, here after jumping up into the weed bed: