more herons

Yesterday afternoon, a loud squawking sound from the marsh sent me running down in time to see two large Ardea herons flying up. They soared overhead and eventually out over the creek and into the misty distance -- but not before I got some good looks. They were, let's say, funny-looking Great Blue Herons, rather streaky-looking with dark crowns and, as far as I could see, no reddish trousers. But the outstanding feature on both birds was a pair of bright white 'headlights' on the carpal joint (i.e. the bend of the wing). Now if you look at North American bird guides, you will not find Great Blue Herons illustrated with white 'headlights' but if you look in British or European guides you will find that the Grey Herons -- apparently in all plumages -- are almost always shown with this prominent feature!

I should say that Great Blue Herons are here on Eastern Long Island all year round but they are scarcest in June and July when most of the wintering and migrant birds have returned to their breeding colonies inland and to the north.

After the flap with the Little/Snowy Egret this past, it seems almost too much of a coincidence to bring up the Great Blue/Grey Heron problem. But once again, we have two members of a superspecies (or species pair), one in Europe, the other in North America, with a serious problem about how to distinguish them. In fact, Little Egrets are regularly seen and identified on this side of the Atlantic (although some of them may be aberrant Snowy Egrets or hybrids). But does anyone see or claim to see Grey Herons? If one showed up, what should we look for?

No photographs this time. The birds soared high and disappeared to the east.

Eric Salzman