Re: Night Herons and Flycatchers

["Will Cook" <cwcook@duke.edu>]

On Saturday May 26, Claus Holzapfel (a visiting UMass biologist from 
Germany) and I took a look at the Little Creek impoundment and found 1 
*immature* Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.  Unfortunately the Night-Herons 
were missed on the May 6 count, though they were looked for.

Great Crested Flycatchers are also fairly common nesters in suburban 
neighborhoods -- they seem to be adapting well to human habitation. One 
year they even tried to nest in the gutter on the corner of the roof.  
(That lasted until the first rainstorm.)


> Today on my sixth try I did finally manage to see the adult Yellow
> Crowned Night Heron at Little Creek as it hunted actively on fallen
> logs in the Little Creek Impoundment. I watched it take three stabs in
> the muddy water and fetch up nothing at all, as it slinked away with
> great resignation.
> 
> Coming to campus I heard, and then also saw, a pair of Great Crested
> Flycatchers foraging high in the trees around the Barred Owl nest. It
> makes sense that given all these mature trees there should be Great
> Cresteds on campus, but I must say I have never before seen or heard
> them here. have I just had my head in a hole all this time? Has anyone
> else seen or heard them on campus?
> 
> The Night heron made 300 for the year. Yea!
> 
> Shantanu Phukan
> 
> 


-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708