Black-Crowned Night Heron
Forest Park, Trafton Road, Springfield
Jeff Pilger, Haydenville,
The word was that a black-crowned night heron had returned to Forest Park in Springfield and had been seen after sunrise or before sunset. On Aug. 6, I was finally lucky enough to photograph this beautiful bird as it stood on one leg preening itself in the sun after a thunderstorm. Soon after, I noticed a second one resting in a nearby tree.
Black-crowned night herons are stocky birds compared to many of their long-limbed heron relatives. They’re most active at night or at dusk, when you may see their ghostly forms flapping out from daytime roosts to forage in wetlands. In the light of day, adults are striking in gray-and-black plumage and long white head plumes. These social birds breed in colonies of stick nests usually built over water. They live in fresh, salt, and brackish wetlands and are the most widespread heron in the world. Although not seen in western Massachusetts too often, I was honored to see this.
This image was made with a DSLR and a super-telephoto lens.
Jeff Pilger is affiliated with the Robert Floyd Photo Gallery, 2 East St., Southampton. Other images are on view there during summer hours, Sundays, 1 to 6 p.m.