Hi Everyone,

I stepped out at 5:30 a.m. to listen for flight calls, but only the pre-dawn chorus was underway. As I sipped my coffee, I saw a familiar, squat silhouette approaching from the direction of Fort Smallwood to the north. It was a Black-crowned Night-Heron en route to a secret daytime hideout somewhere off Rock Creek. It greeted me with a good morning "wuck." 

Black-crowned Night-Herons roost in many of the small coves off Rock Creek. From now through at least the end of August the species is pretty easy to find on the peninsula. Check the north end of the pond at Fort Smallwood or coves along Rock Creek. Exploring Rock Creek by kayak almost guarantees a sighting. For how common they are here in season, this was my long overdue first sighting from the yard, and it was yard bird #120 after just shy of a year living there.

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com