[SBB] Little Blue Heron continues, no Cattle Egret

[[[email protected]] (Karl Fowler)]

SBB,

I had the pleasure of watching the LBHE for about an hour this morning, between 7:20 until I left at 8:30. As reported by Robert Hole, it spent a great deal of it's time on the sand bar to the south of the island. I saw that it is slightly smaller than a nearby Snowy Egret, giving way to it when challanged for space on the shore. The LEBE has an interesting habit of moving its head in a arc over the water when spotting potential prey, always keeping its beak pointed at the object of interest. Then quickly darting in to catch its meal, usually successfully. At one point it flew to the inlet of the lake to forage near a Common Merganser and a very young COME, but soon returned to the island. When I left it was at the NE end of the island on the steps preening itself.

 

Has anyone tried to count the young Egrets and Herons on the island this year?

 

I was unable to spot the Cattle Egret among the reeds or shoreline. I also looked for the Cackling Goose without luck (however, the CAGO were widely scattered around the lake and shores and spent most of my time watching the LBHE).

 

Karl Fowler

New retiree :-)

 

 

--- Begin Message ---

• Subject: Re: [SBB] Little Blue Heron & Cackling Goose, no Cattle Egret
• From: Robert B Hole Jr <[[email protected]]>
• Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 23:59:14 -0700

I arrived at the lake about 4pm and within a few minutes of my arrival the 
LITTLE BLUE HERON was visible out around the "sand bank" to the south of 
the island. It walked slowly around passing "behind" (north side) of the 
bar, then around the pile of rocks at the end, bothering a tern sitting on 
the rocks, then slowly made its way back toward the reeds. It was in view 
for a good half hour at least. It was out of site for me after about 4:45, 
I left at 5pm.

I saw several sizes of CANADA GOOSE swimming around though didn't pick out 
any that were particularly small (but I wasn't paying close attention). 
Being a heron lover, my additional highlight was about a half dozen juv. 
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS sitting, flying and walking on the bare northern 
end of the island, along with a GREEN HERON.

I'm not sure I would have recognized a cattle egret with the views I was 
getting of the egrets.

Having chased all over the mid-atlantic seaboard looking for my original 
"life" LBH (and then having six or seven pop up all at the same time, of 
course), I was very gratified to be able to essentially pull up to the 
parking lot and have my first California LBH present itself.

Bob


At 04:14 PM 6/12/2006, you wrote:
>All,
>
>This morning the south side of the island in Almaden Lake was well watched 
>(several birders) from 7:45 AM until at least 1:55 PM with no sign of the 
>alternate plumaged Cattle Egret.  The LITTLE BLUE HERON was often in view 
>but would occasionally disappear (in the cane on the island and behind the 
>banks on the island and on the lakeside) for several minutes at a 
>time.  Shortly after One PM I noted a CACKLING GOOSE swimming with a 
>fairly large flock of CANADA GEESE.  This bird had the same general 
>coloring as the Canada Geese but was approximately half the size (60% the 
>length and half the width), had a tiny bill, had a more abrupt forehead 
>and a thin white neck-ring at the base of the black neck (definitely not a 
>Minima, Sibley's would indicate that with the lighter chest it would have 
>to be the rarer "Richardson's" but then NGS, contrary to Sibley, shows 
>that the "Aleutian" also has a lighter chest)?  Another reward for the 
>long wait was a first of the year VAUX'S SWIFT spotted by Kathy Parker.
>
>Take care,
>Bob Reiling
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Robert Hole, Jr.
[[email protected]]
www.ecologydesigns.com
gifts celebrating nature 



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