Hi Howard,

It may not be widely known that there is a little creek that goes  
through the NIH campus more or less parallel to Rockville Pike. The  
people who manage the grounds are trying to restore it and make it  
attractive to wildlife (besides scientists). They must be successful  
since I have seen a yellow-crowned night heron there 2 or 3 times  
over the past 2 months, which is a lot since I only go there once a  
week, checking birdboxes with some colleagues. The last time, I was  
photographing the creek from a pedestrian bridge above it and only  
noticed the heron when I downloaded the photos. I assume he was under  
the bridge and stuck his neck out while I was taking the photo, then  
disappeared again.

That spot is very close to Cedar lane and it may be the same bird or  
one of the birds you saw.

Evelyn Ralston
Bethesda, MD




On Jul 3, 2007, at 11:39 AM, Howard Youth wrote:

> 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