Black-crowned Night-Heron AND Red-necked Phalarope! ~ August 5, 2025

I did an afternoon run to a few retention ponds, starting at Green Pond. I couldn't find the immature Little Blue Heron there, but I did see a high total of 10 Green Herons. Seven were in the back southeast pond, two were at Green Pond itself, and the other was at the retention pond along Green Pond Road. The small wooded pond by the house held the Great Egret and a Solitary Sandpiper. Also seen there were 2 Spotted Sandpipers, an Eastern Kingbird, Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, 2 Eastern Bluebirds, 2 American Goldfinches, a Chipping Sparrow, and a male Baltimore Oriole.

I did a quick check of the Newburg Road retention pond and noticed that the Great Egret that had been occasionally visiting the pond was there. As I panned with my binoculars, I noticed the greenish-yellow legs of another bird. It was smaller than a Great Blue Heron. I took a photo with my camera, enlarged it on the screen, and realized that it was an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron! I sent out a text alert to other birders about it and then took several more photos.

An immature Black-crowned Night-Heron.

A few other birders showed up to see it. I left there and drove over to the Hollo Road retention pond. I was looking for the Pied-billed Grebe that had been hanging out there when I noticed a bird spinning around at the western edge of the pond. It was a Red-necked Phalarope! Once again, I sent out a text alert to other birders about it and then took a bunch of distant photos of it since you can only bird there from the road. These were my better ones.

Red-necked Phalarope

My last stop was the Tatamy Exit retention pond, which held a Greater Yellowlegs, 4 Lesser Yellowlegs, 8 Least Sandpipers, 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 7 Killdeer, and a Great Egret.

Greater Yellowlegs

Least Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Great Egret

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