To add a little to Gary Ender's post, I birded Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens and Kenilworth Park yesterday (Sat, 7/19) with Rob Hilton and
two friends from California. We got to the Gardens at 6:00 am and were
the first to walk around the ponds. Over 2 hr 45 min we saw 3 different
Yellow-crowned Night Herons. The first bird was a one year old bird
(born in 2007), mostly brown, lacked the extensive spotting of juvenile,
especially on the back (no spotting), and showed a ghost of the face
pattern of an adult. The second bird was a juvenile, presumably a newly
fledged young from the adults that have been hanging out there this
season. It was a classic young bird with extensive spotting on an
otherwise brown bird. And the third bird was a full adult.
We found 51 species between the two parks, with the night herons being
the highlight. No sign of the Alder Flycatcher - looks like he finally
gave up.
Good birding,
Paul Pisano
Arlington, VA |