I was expecting to see the old Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron at the boardwalk entrance, but instead saw the younger one on the floating dead tree trunk. It was standing with its neck stretched out as if it was listening for something. I thought there had possibly been a conflict before I arrived.
It was a joy to see the faces of the birds as I remembered them from last summer. The Great Blue Heron was standing in its territory looking over the feeding place. A Great Egret was standing near the Snowy Egret and the Little Blue Heron, watching all the birds busily hunt for fish. Three American Coots and several Green Herons were actively moving around the feeding place. I thought that the patches of Algae near the feeding place had recently decreased, which was attracting the birds.
I quickly went to the barrier between the Landing and the Diving Facility to look for the old Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron that I saw yesterday morning. I was surprised to instead find three Yellow-Crowned-Night Herons near the biological research site! Two were walking together along the barrier. The third was standing near the Bald Cypress tree watching the other two birds. When either of the two walked close to the Bald Cypress tree, the third chased it away toward the Landing.
When I went back to the boardwalk entrance I saw yet another conflict taking place. The young Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron was chased away from the left side of the entrance, but it did not go too far. It flew into the middle of the feeding place beside the three American Coots and Little Blue Heron. I saw it stretch its neck out and stand still for a very long time. The whiteness of its forehead was striking.
When I turned around, I was surprised to find a juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron perched on the rusted pole on the right side of the boardwalk entrance, and the grown Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron was on the rail. I thought that they must have been a mother and her offspring. The juvenile was looking around from the top of the pole for a while, and flew down to the opposite side of the railing across from its mother, who just stood still. The juvenile’s leg slipped off the railing a few times, and each time it flapped its wings to catch its balance. I thought that it was probably its first visit to the area. I did not want to disturb the young bird and its mother, so I observed from a distance. I thought the color of the young bird was brown, with lighter colors on its under-part.
As soon as I got home, I looked at my diary from last summer. I saw the first juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron on July 17, 2009, and had written the following:
“I saw a bird whose body style was smaller but similar to the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron next to the Landing House. Its color was blackish-blown and it had thin lines and spots of a beautiful golden color from the top of its head down to its tail. I noticed that it had white, fluffy hairs on the top of its head. I thought that it was a baby bird. I looked around for its mother and found a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron eating something about 10 or 12 yards away from the baby.
“The baby Yellow-Crowned Night Heron was not afraid of me, even when I went close to it. The mother noticed me, but it was still busy eating something. It was interesting to see that the baby bird did not have the same color as its mother. The mother had a gray body and black head, with wide white stripe on its head and both cheeks. The baby, however, had no white stripes and only two colors, blackish brown and thin lines and spots of a beautiful golden color.
“The baby showed its interest in everything along the walking path. The mother finished its meal, and kept her eyes on the baby, which was exploring along the bank. The baby found something, and the feathers on the top of its head stood up, just like a Kingfisher. After it relaxed from the excitement, its feathers went back down and covered its head. The mother bird wanted to fly back to its nest, which was on the opposite side of the lake from the Landing. She flew away, but the baby bird was still busy exploring. I continued to watch the baby, which had beautiful, innocent brown eyes that were very different from the sharp reddish eyes of its mother.
“I saw the mother bird crossing the lake and thought that it was coming back for the baby. I was right. As soon as the baby bird saw the mother, it flew towards her, and then both birds flew over to the hillside.”
Last year the mother and its offspring disappeared before I had a chance to see the juvenile bird develop. I was hoping that I could have a chance to see it this summer.
I was excited to see more aquatic birds in the wetlands.
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