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Subject:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron family on Sligo

From:

Patricia Wood

Reply-To:

Patricia Wood

Date:

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:09:27 -0400

I live near Piney Branch and Sligo Creek and have always til this year had these herons nesting nearby, so I've missed seeing them in their usual places, like just up from the tennis courts over the stream (and I think not coincidentally, near the playground).  Today, I went for a walk starting just past Schuyler Rd (spelling?), the opposite direction to my usual walks.  I noticed whitewash on the sidewalk, looked up, and saw a nest, right over my head.  Couldn't tell at first if occupied, so walked a little, enjoyed watching two flickers feasting on ripe mulberries (didn't realize they ate berries), came back, and there was a young night heron preening itself on the edge of the nest!  Yea!  

And it got better. After I'd watched awhile, I saw it step back into the nest and hunker down, and admired how well it blended into the nest.  Seeing that, I realized there could have been a 2nd juv. up there and I wouldn't see it.  Just as I was about to leave, one of the adults came back, and perched on the limb, looking out at the street.   Nobody stood up to greet the parent, while I was there, so I couldn't tell if there are two youngsters, or just the one I saw.  Anyway, after a bit, I walked on back toward my car, and there in the stream was the other parent!  Very nice!

I wonder if anyone has ever studied these birds to see if they really do choose nests as close to human activity as they can.  All the nests I've seen along Sligo have been over the sidewalk or street, plus being near bridges and or intersections, or playgrounds.  This one is all of the above!  And when a kid on a noisy bike clattered over the bridge, I saw the youngster stop preening and peer after him, as if curious, not as if alarmed.  Interesting behavior, I think.  There are so many options for them to put a nest on the side of the creek away from the street or sidewalk, and up or downstream from a playground, but none of them have, that I've seen.  Anyone have observations of them choosing a more secluded option?

Patricia Wood
Silver Spring

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