A Squawk of Herons?

The sudden proliferation of small passerines chasing big crows is a good indication that there are eggs and fledglings in many a nest. The crows come around marauding, looking to find food for their own young by raiding the nests of other birds. Most of the chasers are Red-winged Blackbirds but many other birds recognize the threat and will go after the crows. I found two Tufted Titmice, both with food in their beaks, in an extremely agitated state but unwilling to go to their nest -- in the cavity formed by a split oak -- for fear of giving its location away to a crow hanging out in the neighborhood. They were buzzing the crow but unable to chase it away. I don't think the crow could have gotten its oversize beak into the cavity but the titmice were clearly not taking any chances. However my arrival chased the crow, and the two titmice both came into the hole -- at the same time! -- to successfully deliver their food packages! For once, I was the good guy and not just another threat.

There have been a sedge of night herons on and around the pond ('siege' or 'sedge' is the proper collective term, I am informed) -- several Black-crowned but also including at least one first-year Yellow-crowned molting into adult plumage. As I approached the pond, they flushed with a collective squawk that was hideous enough to scare off any potential predator. They all took off except one Great Egret who was squawking as loudly as the rest but was not quite willing to give up on the pond; it landed on the dead cedar on the opposite side and eventually dropped back down into the pond where it was shortly joined by a Snowy Egret. The one bird that never flushed at all was, of course, our Pondmaster Willie Willet -- who, after a few loud protests from the shallows, settled back into his toilette.

Four swallows over the marsh: Tree and Bank in addition to Barn and Purple Martins. Common Yellowthroats are almost certainly nesting at the corner edge of the marsh; there is a pair and the male is 'en garde' but not singing. Yellow Warbler continues to sing a bit further inland and from the tree canopy. Yesterday I described our local House Wrens as non-dooryard birds but today at least one of them seems to have retreated to the bushes in a neighbor's backyard. Very active singing Baltimore Orioles -- at least two different males with different songs.

Instead of 'a sedge of herons', how about 'a squawk of herons'?

Eric Salzman