First-year Double-crested Cormorant? One or two can often be found at these
ponds in winter.

Hal Opperman
Medina, Washington
hal at catharus.net

On 1/29/03 12:16 PM, "kjandrich at netscape.net" <kjandrich at netscape.net>
wrote:

>
> Hi Tweeters,
>
> This morning I caught the bus late to work and parking was at a premium at St
> Thomas Episcopal, near Medina park, so I had to park a ways up. When I got
> out of the car near the pond by the road (NE 12th) I noticed a small flock of
> widgeon over at the park including an Eurasian Widgeon. Since I had just
> missed a bus and had some time to kill, I walked over to enjoy them and also
> saw a female Hooded Merganser actively foraging. Then I noticed an unusual
> bird hop onto to grass beside the pond. It was mostly gray with long orange
> legs and had a meal size (for it) fish in it's bill. I tryed to approach
> carefully but it flew up into a willow tree and consumed the fish. The other
> field marks I could see without binoculars was a dark "cap" on the head and a
> whitish bib under the bill and upper throat. I am pretty sure it was a Green
> Heron but not positive on the ID. The bill seemed too short and slender for
> one. Lacking a field guide or binoculars that is my best guess. It sure
> seemed agile in the willow tree.
>
> Anyone else have any other ideas as to what it could be? Thanks.
>
> Kathy Andrich