FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Old Hickory Lake: Heron Nest

[Vikram Chhatre <crypticlineage@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, June 03, 2006
9am to 11.45pm

Nature Trail and Dam Area
Old Hickory Lake
Sumner County
Madison, TN

Birders,

Just got back from a nice birding morning at the old hickory lake.  
Notable species:

Double Crested Cormorant (6): All observed flying over river
Great Blue Heron (4) 1 sitting, three flying
Black-Crowned Night-Heron (5 adults) flying over river

On the nature trail, there is a night heron nest about 25-30 feet high 
on a side branch of a Pine tree.  The adult bird was sitting on the nest 
and there was at least one young bird in the nest.  I am however 
confused whether it was a black-crowned or a yellow-crowned heron.  Its 
plumage looked like a juvenile black-crowned with white spots on the 
wings, but it definitely did not look like an adult black-crowned.  If 
it wasn't an adult, what was it doing guarding the nest?  Another 
prominent facial feature I noticed was a thick cream colored streak 
across the cheek and some cream colored feathers on forehead.  Now, 
yellow-crowned herons have white cheek, but this bird did not share any 
other plumage colors of an adult yellow crowned.  If it helps, it had 
long straight plumage at the back of the head (not sure about the 
color), like the GBH has, only not drooping, just straight.  As you may 
have noticed, the bird I saw seems to have features of both herons.   I 
am eager to hear your opinions on what you think it was.

Indigo buntings seem to be happy with me these days.  I had one singing 
on the nature trail.

Heard but not seen:  Eastern Towhee.

Vikram Chhatre
Nashville, TN
Davidson County


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