Five YCN Herons at Balt. Co. house -Reply

GEORGE JETT (JETT.GEORGE@epamail.epa.gov)
Fri, 30 Apr 1999 15:06:52 -0400


Pete
I have a big lens and would love to try to get some good photos of the herons.  What would be
convenient and consider the lighting situations.

George

>>> Peter Webb <pwebb@bcpl.net> 04/17/99 12:08am >>>
I don't know how newsworthy this is, droning on about my herons,
but some might find it mildly interesting to hear that the nest
over my house, which is now in use for the third consecutive year, is
now the center of activity of more than two herons, and this morning
I counted FIVE herons, presumably all adults, in the vicinity: two
on the nest, a third (which I suspect is the bird that hatched here
two summers ago, now in its third year) standing on a branch just
a few feet away, and a fourth bird flying in to displace a fifth bird
in the neighbors' back yard, about 100 feet away. With all of this 
activity nearby, I have to wonder how well the resident pair can
maintain territorial possession in order to keep fishing rights and
food supply sufficient to raise a family. I guess I'll have to wait
and see how well they do. I know that Black-crowned Night-herons do
sometimes have YCN Herons join them in their communal nest colonies;
perhaps fishing rights and nesting territoriality can be separate.
I suspect that the continued tolerance of the third bird so close to
the nest at times may indicate that it is another female, related to
the nest holding female, probably a daughter, hence my belief that it
is the third-summer bird which hatched here two summers back. Last year
a second-year bird hung around in similar fashion. I don't believe that
another male would be tolerated by an adult male here; one or the other
would win a campaign contesting ownership of the nest and territory, with
the loser being driven away. With less of a territorial imperative, a 
female might tolerate another closely related female more easily tnan
a male would another male, closely related or not. (And with a PAIR on
the nest, the third bird would be same gender as one of the pair.)

In other bird news, probably others in Baltimore County have seen them,
but I haven't noticed them reported in this county yet, so I will report
two B G Gnatcatchers in my yard today, along with a Myrtle ("Yellow-rumped")
Warbler in very plain winter plumage, and a flock of Cedar Waxwings
hanging around the last few days here. Chiping Sparrows also are here,
and the Juncos and White-throats are in full song and undiminished
numbers to date. The Juncos will be leaving fairly soon.

Anyone wishing to see the herons and nest may contact me or Carolyn
by e-mail or by phone for directions; Carolyn works at home and
is usually here. I'm always hoping someone with a big lens can come
some time and get some really good photos of the heron family.
The photos taken to date are recognizable but not all that close or
detailed; the nest is well up in the oak tree above my house and
close approach would require wings or levitation. I've gotten some
very nice looks through my Questar but nobody has gotten comparable
photos to date.

Pete Webb
(410)-486-1217
pwebb@bcpl.net (home)
pew@niroinc.com (work, 830-5 M-F)