Hi Tweets:

Jerry Broadus writes:

>There is a new Dept of Wildlife access point that is west of the
>headquarters access and just east of the ditch where the black
>crowned night herons lurk.

After peaking in the 1980's at over ten birds, adults, subadults and
juv/first winter Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, the
wintering population of night-herons at the Reifel Refuge in Ladner BC began
tailing off and seems to have levelled off at two or three birds for the
last several years. John Ireland, Refuge manager, says there's just adults
this winter. I wonder if this means the population is on its way out,
perhaps with all the habitat destruction in their (presumed) Fraser Valley
wetland nesting locations.

Has anyone noticed a similar fluctuation at this location? What are typical
numbers? Age-sorting? I wonder if Reifel's loss is this location's gain, or
if the same processes are at work here. Or does anyone know if they're in
direct competition with Green Heron Green Heron Butorides virescens for
feeding/nesting habitat during breeding season?

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net