Is this something like what you saw? It's a Quail.
If this isn't your bird, give me more details about what you saw - were the legs longer? Body different?
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This is certainly a popular question - we're all trying to figure it out for you!
http://www.rivernen.ca/bird_4b.htm Check this pic to find out if it was a Heron or this link to see if it was a Peahen
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fosbury.de/Trish/SCOTLAND_summer_2004/Drummond_Castle_Gdns/mediafiles/l11.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fosbury.de/Trish/SCOTLAND_summer_2004/Drummond_Castle_Gdns/pages/page_11.html&h=567&w=485 &sz=166&tbnid=1J7OiLm22gt6qM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpeahen%26um%3D1&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1
And thank you N Holmes and KyDoll for your input
OK, let's try this one (the darker body you saw may have been indicative of a young, not fully mature bird)
Can you approximate the size of the body? Like a football, softball, smaller or larger?
How about the length of the legs in proportion to the bird? Like stilts or like a pigeon?
Any idea of whether or not the feet were webbed?
We haven't given up yet!
http://www.helsaple.com/Tricolored%20Heron%20mating%20plumage.htm
Try this one
It's difficult to find pictures that match exactly what you saw. We're thinking you saw a bird in full mating feather, which may be different from stock photos. Keeping that in mind, let's try these:
(Imagine this guy here with his top crest feathers fully extended)
This is a blue heron
Below is a blue lapwing
Give this link a check out too
http://www.tobinphoto.com/stock-gallery/birds-herons-egrets.htm
OK - that will certainly help.