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Subject:

Jug Bay surprise!

From:

Jeff Shenot

Reply-To:

Jeff Shenot

Date:

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:13 -0400

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