ML634902700

Podrobnosti k pozorování

***Apparent first Albany County record! Completely unexpected regional rarity. While standing at the northwest corner of Tivoli Lake, I spotted two herons in flight high over the pond, coming in from the northeast and heading roughly southwest. I initially assumed they were Great Blue Herons, but I immediately noticed the distinctive black-and-white head pattern of the leading bird and recognized it was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. I managed three photos of the leading bird with the camera in "burst" mode, none of which were very good but perhaps diagnostic nonetheless (first and second photos in the uploaded sequence). They quickly sailed out of view over the trees on the south side of the pond and I assumed that was all I would see of them. About three minutes later (I was still at my original location examining my photos and putting the word out), they glided back into view from the direction of their last heading, reversed direction again - I managed a few more photos (third and fourth photos below) - before alighting halfway up a tall tree on the south shore of the pond. They remained perched there for a moment or two, then flitted down out of view to a small swampy area off the south pond trail. I approached carefully and spent the next fifteen minutes or so taking photos and video from an appropriate distance. At one point, I was occupied sending text and email updates looking down at my phone - and when I looked up again, the herons had gone. I don't recall hearing any wingbeats, but it's possible I wasn't listening carefully, or they left relatively quietly, or they just wandered into denser vegetation without my noticing. Subsequent searching by other birders arriving at the location failed to relocate them. First personal observation of this species in New York outside of Queens and Nassau counties (last on 2016-08-30 at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge). First personal observation of this species since 2019-05-05 (Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa, Peru). Albany County #249 City of Albany #201