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YC Night Herons,GH Owls & Cooper's Hawks in W-S



Hello, Carolinabirders!  We had an exciting day of birding in
Winston-Salem on Sunday.  Each year we watch for the return of nesting
Yellow-crowned Night Herons to Miller Park.  Yesterday morning about
10:00 a.m. my husband spotted two of them high in the pine trees across
from Shelter No. 2 (the usual location).  One obliged us by raising his
plumes and giving that "Whoop" call.  He also stared directly into the
scope with the wind blowing his breeding plumes straight up; if I had
digiscope capability I could have given the "Mad Bluebird" poster a run
for its money!  Chester and I were joined in our wonderment at the
herons' return by fellow W-S birder Tom Tomlinson.

Meanwhile, near the playgound swings, in easy sight of the Herons'
territory, a pair of Cooper's Hawks has established a nest (as reported
a couple of weeks ago by our fellow birder Phil Dickinson).  We saw one
sitting on the nest, but it flew off.   Last week we were treated to the
sight of BOTH calling to each other and bringing limbs to the nest.

Spring is definitely underway in Miller Park!

We moved next to Washington Park, home of Great Horned Owls' nest.
There are now THREE "owlets" visible on the nest.  They are developing
primaries, and their beige fuzz is generally splotched with brown
feathers (one appears to benoticeably younger than the other two).
Chester's keen eyes also spotted a parent sitting in a nearby tree,
keeping a watch on the youngsters.  For those of you who wish to find
this nest, go to the Duke Power lot on Broad Street.  Look across at the
park, and scan the bare trees to your RIGHT.  You'll see a large blob -
that's the nest.  You can better scope it from the bridge, and best of
all from the backside of the tall hollies bordering the greenway just
beyond the bridge.

Okay, it got even better.  While at Miller Park we were informed by a
lady walking her dog that an owl had been spotted at Reynolda House near
Warbler Lane (local birders' name for a section of road leading into
RH).  We went over there in the late afternoon and spotted a parent GHO
AND a baby OFF the nest (still fuzzy) in the pine trees bordering the
field about 50 yards from Warbler Lane (on the left as you head AWAY
from the house).

This turned into a wonderful "PR" opportunity for birds (we hope).  As
we stood with our scope in the open field many folks taking a Sunday
stroll stopped by for a look at both Parent and Baby Owl.  Everyone was
simply enchanted.  We were much closer to these owls than those at
Washington Park, with the corresponding much better (and more
impressive) views.

My husband and Bert Hollifield returned this morning and relocated both
in the same area.

Happy Birding to All!

Ann Robertson
arobertson@law.wfu.edu