Black-crowned Night Heron

Woke up to a wonderful morning and eventually climbed out of bed and decided to do a quick check of the area before the rains hit in earnest. By the time I rounded the lakes it was already starting to sprinkle. Still not too hard to venture out on foot for a bit so I picked the wetlands to see if I could relocate the Barred Owls.

No luck on the owls but I did find something a bit more interesting. A I crossed the bridge into the wetlands I saw a bird duck its head below the high grass near the lake. As I walked closer, the bird peered out from behind a cypress tree. A Black-crowned Night Heron!



In the past 20 years I have lived in this neighborhood I have maybe seen 4-5 of them here. Mostly juveniles. This was an adult in breeding plumage. Wonder if they are nesting nearby?

The search is on!