Dead low tide this morning under a heavy cloud cover. Both Night Herons were on the muddy edge of the pond and both flew up on my approach. But there was a striking difference in where they flew. The Black-crowned headed out to the marsh and then doubled back, flying up Weesick Creek. Nothing unusual there. The Yellow-crowned however flew up to a high perch on one of the dead trees back of the pond and then, after watching me for a bit (the watching was mutual), it flew into the woods beyond, perching at mid-level on a Pitch Pine branch where I could just about make him out through the branches and leaves. I watched for a good fifteen minutes or more but he didn't move and I finally gave up. Judging by this behavior, there is just the possibility that there may be a nest in there somewhere!
End-of-May flowering plants: Black Cherry (Prunus serotina; native and a common weed tree); Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos; native to the south but now widely distributed); Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum; native to the Balkans but widely planted); and -- my personal favorite -- Big-leaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla), a living fossil. Magnolias were among the earliest flowering plants, dating back many many millions of years in the earth's history. As if that distinction weren't enough, Big-leaf Magnolia has the kargest leaf and the biggest flower (a tall bullet-shaped spike whose petals peel off one by one) of any native American plant. It's original range was south of us but this grove seems to be self-sustaining. My neighbor Eileen Schwinn calls it a Jurassic Park escape!
Eric Salzman
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