Some rare sightings today

[pinelandpaddler]

While paddling the upper Oswego today, I caught a glimpse of a heron, but this was like no heron I've seen before. It was a light beige color, and clearly darker than an egret. Does anyone have an idea as to what it was?

Also, while driving home tonight through an isolated stretch of woods, a coyote crossed the road in front of me. I slowed down to let it safely cross and then stopped my car to get a closer look. The coyote stood there just several feet into the woods and we sat there staring at each other in slience. It was at least 30 seconds before he turned and walked away. Very cool.

 

[BEHR655]

It could have been an American Bittern. Was it smaller than a Great Blue?

 

[bobpbx]

That reminds me, I don't know what this bird is, but it could be related. I saw it on the Forked River last month:

 

[pinelandpaddler]

bob, that's a green heron.

steve, looking at some photos, it couldn't have been a Bittern. It was smaller than a full grown blue heron, however, and it flapped its wings faster and less gracefully than the blue.

 

[GermanG]

Actually, Bob's bird looks more like a black crowned night heron to me than a green heron. Thank heaven for pics. Trying to ID birds with just a verbal description isn't easy. That's why I like plants. They stay put while you figure them out or take pics of them!

 

[Sue Gremlin]

That's what I thought, too, German.

 

[dragoncjo]

Yeah Bob's is a black crown a very nice find in the pines. Aren't they endangered?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I stand corrected.

 

[GermanG]

I think they are a threatened species in NJ.

 

[NJSnakeMan]

Yeah that's def. a Black Crowned Night Heron, I think they are threatened in NJ.. not so sure. In the 1.5 years i've been birding now, I've seen less than a dozen of them... and rarer yet, The Yellow Crowned Night Heron, which I've only seen one of a couple months ago.

Green Heron aren't listed as endangered I don't think, but i've only seen a couple.

 

[tree huggin tracker]

is this it?
this is a type of great blue heron. it's called wurdemann's heron. they're intermediate between normal morph and white morph (the great white is a type of blue)
and a coyote in the same day? sounds wonderful. good medicine.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Hmmm...just might have been a wurdemann's. Thanks, Chris.