What’s odd about the birds in this nest? The parent is a Great Blue Heron – Blue Morph. The two chicks are White Morphs (subspecies) which are very rare for this part of Florida. Both parents are Blue Morphs which makes it even more intriguing. Some recessive genes at work.
Photos by Nancy Edmondson
The birds have now fledged but return to the nest in the evenings hoping for one last handout from their parents. Golfers might see them from the 12th tee – the two islets to the east. Let’s hope they return next season!
These rarities were first discovered by Marnie Briggs, VGRC resident and local Birder and reported to the birding community via the eBird Rare Bird Alerts messaging. Rick Cordner led small groups of A-list birders to the site with the permission of the local homeowners – we are grateful to their support. Thanks to Rick Cordner for this contribution.
