Yellow Crowned Night Heron!!
Tonight I walked out to identify a strange noise that I heard through an open
window. It was dusk, about 8:22. Turned out to be our neighbor's little lap
dog making single barks, that sounded awfully hoarse (maybe it had too much
barking today!) and was so odd I barely recognized it as a dog bark. The
neighbors were there, in case anyone is wondering why I did not check on the
dog!
As it turned out, serendipity was heading my way. It was a very nice evening
and some frogs (5 species) were ramping up. I listened to their jubilant calls a
few minutes and enjoyed the frog chorus. As I turned to go back in, another
strange noise caught my attention. A loud but distant nasal croak... I knew it
was a Night Heron, but wasn't sure where it was. Then it made a second call
a few seconds later and I got a bearing, but the call sounded different. It
was getting dark (~8:25), but I could see well enough that I knew if it came
in view anywhere I would still see it. Then it called from a very close distance
as 3 Night Herons came into view right over the tree tops! They were flying
toward me and flew past me at a distance of about 100 feet out and about 80
feet up. I heard the third call perfectly as the birds flew directly toward me,
and it was clearly a Yellow-Crowned call. I had never heard a live one (only
recordings)!
It was a very brief view, but I really enjoyed the discovery of hearing a new
call for the first time. And it is a new yard bird to boot! It was the first time
in ten years at Jug Bay that I have seen a Yellow-crowned NH around here,
and I am wondering - since the safe date is April 20 - if there may be a new
colony somewhere nearby. I think the nearest breeders found in the recent
Atlas were about 20 miles (at least) from here.
Does anyone know how far they will travel from a nest or roost area?
Cheers!!!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD |