GREAT egret
That gangly, long-legged white bird you saw wading in the creek is probably a Great Egret. Great Egrets have yellowish-orange bills, black legs and an S-curved neck. They wade in shallow water hunting for fish, frogs or other small aquatic creatures. They tend to stand still waiting for prey to pass by and then they’ll quickly jab at them with their bill.
Traditionally you’d see them nesting high in trees but when they they visit Bell Canyon they seem to favor squatting on the roof of homes close to the creek. If you see them in flight, they tuck in their neck and extend their legs.