Checking the camera trap has become somewhat of a weekend tradition for me. I never know what to expect. Many times, I get pictures of nothing, likely due to a flying bird triggering the motion sensor or simply light reflecting off branches or the waves on the lake. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised, as I was when the doe and fawn were captured on the trail. Most of the time, the subjects of these pictures tend to be raccoons or crows.
When I retrieved the camera this morning, I was pleased to see the number ’12’ on the camera’s photo counter. In one grainy 3 AM shot, a raccoon could be seen in the distance. The usual suspect. But on another shot, a bird was standing directly in front of the camera, almost posing. After a few hours of research, I learned that I had a shot of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. I had never heard of a Night Heron.
As with many birds, the juvenile plumage and overall shape are nothing like the adult form. Regardless, I consider this a big win for the camera trap.
