Oleg Zabluda's blog
Monday, October 01, 2012
 
For about a week, we started to hearing unfamiliar bird shrieking outside out bedroom window in the mornings.
For about a week, we started to hearing unfamiliar bird shrieking outside out bedroom window in the mornings.

At the same time, we stopped hearing unmistakable quacking of Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) "Обыкновенная кваква" або "Квак звичайний" at night. We didn't visit them after dark for a while, so tonight, after sunset, was a good time to do so. We did find a couple, the rest must have moved 2 miles to the West, as they often do, then they come back.

But, more importantly, we found that the shrieking was coming from no other then very familiar American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) "Американская шилоклювка" or Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) "Чёрнoшеий ходулочник aka Зуёк долгоногий", couldn't tell for sure, it was dark. They were feeding in the lagoon.

Very few birds are active at night, it came as a surprise to us that these were. Turns out, it's a common known behavior, just not outside our bedroom window when we are trying to sleep.

Also active were a flock of Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) "Кряква" (Укр. Крижень), who have to stay alert due to predators (herons), and a flock of small ducks, I did not recognize due to darkness. way too actively feeding in the lagoon as well. Weird. Must be almost-full moon (was Sep 29, 8:19 PM PDT)

As I write this at 1 am, Night Herons are loudly quarreling with avocets. Avocets must be muscling it: "Проваливай пока по шее накостыляли" [1], we know you have neck in there somewhere [2]

[1] It's funnier if you know their relative sizes. But Avocets are a gang.

[2] It's rare to see the neck. This immature one is showing its:
https://picasaweb.google.com/112065430692128821190/20110820_PelicanHerons#5643932122038447362

https://www.google.com/search?q=american+avocet+nocturnal
https://www.google.com/search?q=american+avocet+nocturnal

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