Young Green Heron? Yes!

I saw a young Green Heron this morning. It flew up from the edge of the pond and perched on the 'look-out' post -- the dead cedar on the opposite bank. This bird had a bit of a crest, wispy head feathers sticking out out rather randomly from the back of the crest, and a striped neck, all sure indications of a young bird -- undoubtedly born locally and fairly recently fledged. For the past two years, I have suspected that the Green Herons that frequent our marsh are nesting but have been unable to locate the nest which is (or was) probably somewhere in our woods (Green Herons are solitary tree nesters, usually near water). Eventually the young fledglings show up. Last year there were no less than three. This bird was the first one seen this year but the young herons do not necessarily all fledge at once so there may be others (two to three young is the norm locally although there can be more).

The daily (i.e. annual) cicadas are coming on strong these days and so are the night trillers. The day-time insect singers have the wonderful name of Dog Day Cicadas -- one (or more) of the species in the genus Tibicen. The nighttimers are presumably Tree Crickets of the genus Oecanthus. Does anyone know the exact species of our local summer serenaders?

Eric Salzman