Infact the use of the extent of white on the forehead of Hoactli as a seperating feature is unreliable due to overlap with our European Night Heron, more useful seems to be the colour of the base of the bare parts (in breeding plumage) with Hoactli having duller bare parts (salmon-pink) and our European Night Heron reddish legs and lores in the peak of it's breeding season.
Though I have to say it isn't an area of expertise for me
Ian Woosey said
Fri Mar 14 10:11 PM, 2008
dave broome wrote:
I hear that the Night Heron is considered to be an American-race bird?
To quote `The Handbook Of Bird Identification` (Beaman & Madge) ;-
"N.American race (hoactli) suspected to occur as a vagrant, and a small feral population of this race established at Edinburgh Zoo ; adults may be distinguished by having more extensive white patch on forehead and a shorter and thinner white supercillium."
Strangely `The North American Bird Guide` (Sibley) does not refer to hoactli at all, just giving the scientific name as the same as `ours`, ie - Nycticorax nycticorax (nominate race)
Chris Galvin, among others, has taken some decent shots of the bird (posted on Surfbirds) so, take a look and then decide !
dave broome said
Fri Mar 14 9:38 PM, 2008
I hear that the Night Heron is considered to be an American-race bird?
Dean Macdonald said
Sun Mar 9 8:29 PM, 2008
Ian Woosey wrote:
I think you`re mistaken there Dean ...................it can`t have been me............ I don`t venture into Lancashire, and I most definitely don`t go twitching !
Must've been a Lancashire look-a-like
Gary Gorner said
Sun Mar 9 6:23 PM, 2008
GREAT BIRD LIFER FOR MEHAVING DIPPED ON IT A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS WELL CHUFFED.
Ian Woosey said
Sun Mar 9 4:42 PM, 2008
I think you`re mistaken there Dean ...................it can`t have been me............ I don`t venture into Lancashire, and I most definitely don`t go twitching !
Dean Macdonald said
Sun Mar 9 4:32 PM, 2008
Night Heron today from Cyril Gibbons hide showing really well and it actually moved Also seen from path behind trees. A closer view from here but a bit obscured by branches.
Nice Little Grebe close up. Only other birds of note were 2 Red Legged Partridge and a few Stock Doves in with the wood pigeons.
Nice to see you again Mr Woosey.
Cheers Dean.
Gary Gorner said
Mon Feb 18 6:26 PM, 2008
morning visit water rail showing well on bird feeder about a dozen reed buntings nuthatch on feeder by picnic area 1 great spotted pecker all the usual tits jays being mobbed by very teritorial crows excellent watching great crested grebes displaying and giving one another pieces of weed. plenty teal on the frozen water along with tufties and mallard. the cappacino isnt bad either out the drinks machine
Pete Hines said
Fri Feb 15 7:27 PM, 2008
Had a peek today, early afternoon. The light was terrible, looking straight into the sun and the bird is roosting back on and head down - not very exciting. Best to try early morning. The car park is locked at 5pm so I would assume the hides are also - so no chance of catching it coming to life.
Jimmy Meadows said
Thu Feb 14 8:12 PM, 2008
night heron at mere sands wood from the gibbons hide today
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 12th of March 2011 03:55:15 PM
Though I have to say it isn't an area of expertise for me
To quote `The Handbook Of Bird Identification` (Beaman & Madge) ;-
"N.American race (hoactli) suspected to occur as a vagrant, and a small feral population of this race established at Edinburgh Zoo ; adults may be distinguished by having more extensive white patch on forehead and a shorter and thinner white supercillium."
Strangely `The North American Bird Guide` (Sibley) does not refer to hoactli at all, just giving the scientific name as the same as `ours`, ie - Nycticorax nycticorax (nominate race)
Chris Galvin, among others, has taken some decent shots of the bird (posted on Surfbirds) so, take a look and then decide !
Must've been a Lancashire look-a-like
Night Heron today from Cyril Gibbons hide showing really well and it actually moved
Also seen from path behind trees. A closer view from here but a bit obscured by branches.
Nice Little Grebe close up. Only other birds of note were 2 Red Legged Partridge and a few Stock Doves in with the wood pigeons.
Nice to see you again Mr Woosey.
Cheers Dean.
water rail showing well on bird feeder
about a dozen reed buntings
nuthatch on feeder by picnic area
1 great spotted pecker
all the usual tits
jays being mobbed by very teritorial crows
excellent watching great crested grebes displaying and giving one another pieces of weed.
plenty teal on the frozen water along with tufties and mallard.
the cappacino isnt bad either out the drinks machine
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 12th of March 2011 03:55:15 PM