Help with ID: Heron/Egret mix

Not a "phototastic" picture, it was getting dark out and spotted him across the small pond out back. He was relatively small and what struck me at first was the amount of white in his head. I have seen plenty of GBH but this didn't fit the mold so I grabbed the camera for a close up.

Has the legs of a great egret in all black, the body of a GBH, and the head doesn't look like a GBH to me.............especia​lly at a distance. What throws me off are the black legs.

Maybe a mix? I searched my books and can't identify him.

Thanks.

Looks like a GBH to me...here is 1 I took a week or so ago:

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That's a Great Blue Heron. No mix there. He looks to be in breeding plumage.

Thanks, I guess so. The black legs really threw me off, of all the GBH I have ever seen they are an olive green color and never black. In addition the horizontal white lines I don't think I have ever noticed either.

Thanks for the ID.

hTr wrote in post #2909385

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Here is a GBH in mating plummage from Mid January

great shot!

hTr wrote in post #2909385

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Here is a GBH in mating plummage from Mid January

That is a great shot.

Well, thank you, but this is your thread.

Due to the red-eye, I am guessing that you used a flash, or had the sun straight behind you, and the white lines are the light reflecting off of ripples on the water. At least that is how it looks to me.