Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is my evening guest

This time of year spring migration is heating up, and the cast of characters in my yard changes daily. I usually walk my dogs with the leash in one hand and my zeiss binos in the other. Usually I am sorting through various warblers, sparrows, vireos and flycatchers. While I was doing this tonight, however, I was distracted by the honking of a Canada Goose that flew over. I looked up and immediately saw another bird tagging along behind the goose. As it skimmed the treetops I thought, "Great Blue Heron - no, WOW Black-crowned Night-heron, which was exciting in its own right, as I have never had one in the yard. But as the bird startled me by swooping up to a perch in a dead ash tree, I realized it was a yard bird/county bird/state bird for me, and one that is extremely hard to find in Southwest Michigan - a Yellow-crowned Night-heron. I watched it for about ten minutes as it croaked and kept a wary eye on a crow that was very interested in the stranger. Finally, I decided to take a chance and run inside for the camera. Not only did it wait for pics, but it waited for the scope, AND the pics were in focus, mostly! Here he is, a totally fabulous Yellow-crowned Night-heron, complete with nuptial plumes!



Bird on!