Yesterday at 10:30 a.m. I saw an adult yellow-crowned night-heron 
perched on a rock in the middle of the small stream at the east 
corner of Route 355 and Cedar Lane in Bethesda. This is the spot 
where I first saw one on March 21. This week, I've not been down to 
the (former) nest site at nearby Elmhirst Parkway, but my guess is 
that the birds are re-nesting nearby, at some unknown location. I'd 
checked the Elmhirst nest site several times over the past month or 
two and so no birds and the remnants of the nest. Yet the birds are 
still around. I even saw one fly over our house a few weeks ago.

In May and early June, I also had luck finding single feeding adults 
in the drainage cuts just east on Beach Drive from the Kensington 
Pkwy intersection (where the American bittern showed up earlier in 
spring). The feeding birds there could either be from the Bethesda or 
Chevy Chase nests, or even another nest in between. I find the close 
proximity of these birds to be fascinating. After chasing them over 
the years at Huntley Meadows, McKee-Beshers, and Lilypons, it's 
strange to know that they have started nesting inside the Beltway! Of 
course the Sligo birds were the real trendsetters....

Meanwhile, I stopped by the Chevy Chase Lake Drive nest, which is 
over the road, and I think I saw several birds high up on the nest. 
So, at least that nest has done well, I think.


Howard Youth

Bethesda, MD