[Umpqua Birds] Re: Black-crowned Night-Herons, Melrose
- From: "Mary Ann Wilcox" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "maryannw27@xxxxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: "umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 May 2014 21:01:04 -0700 (PDT)
Interesting episode, I'm glad you shared it! Mary Ann
On Monday, May 19, 2014 2:25 PM, Matthew G Hunter <matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
HI Folks,
This morning after
breakfast I took a short walk outside just to do a 5-minute count, see what's
around,
and then get on with my day. With intentions for just a quick stroll I did not
take either my binoculars (much of my birding is by ear) or my camera.
A couple minutes
into my wandering I heard a distant call 3 or 4 times that sounded like a
Black-crowned Night-Heron--they have a distinctive "aouw" or "ouwk" sound--but
it seemed improbable and I am over 3/4 mile from a river and I've never had
them here at the house... and...and.... So, I finally stopped and listened
intently. My breakfast grumbled and made an "ow" sound in my tummy and I said
to myself, ... that's what it was. So I started walking again, and then I heard
the sound louder, twice, and it still sounded like a Black-crowned Night-Heron,
and right then I saw two Night-Herons on the very top of a cedar tree about 200
ft north of me next to the neighbor's driveway, large and blocky compared to a
Green Heron. One heron took off flying to the east, calling, and the other
stood there perched on top of the tree for another 15 seconds or so, then took
off following the same path as the other bird to the east. They called until
they were out of sight. I was in
the process of kicking myself for not having my camera (I could have gotten
some identifiable photos in the tree and in flight), when I heard one calling
again, this time to the southeast of me and coming west. This could have been
one of the same birds that circled around and came back farther south, I don't
know. This bird landed in the tip top of a very large and tall Ponderosa Pine,
calling, so I dashed in the house for my camera, but by the time I came out it
had launched off to the west. I waited around for a while, but did not see or
hear them any more.
There are only a few May records of Black-crowned Night-Herons for Douglas
County that I'm aware of, and I'm not sure if there are any this late. The
behavior of these birds--calling and landing in the tops of trees, going west,
then going east--makes me wonder... What in the world were they doing? What is
their breeding status? Are they migrants? Are they nesting nearby? In an
average year in eastern Oregon this would be an egg-laying or nestling period.
Were they perhaps nesting nearby and something disturbed them? Were they
non-breeders "summering" locally, getting restless?
I have always wondered if they actually nest somewhere in the county, but the
question remains to be answered. If anyone has any insight on the status of
these birds based on their behavior, timing, or anything else, I'd be
interested to hear. Thanks!
"Ouwk,"
Matt Hunter
Melrose, OR
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