Black-crowned Night Herons, as the name implies are birds of crepuscular habits, becoming active as night begins to set in and hiding from view as the dawn brightens.

They are opportunists feeders that eat many kinds of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals. Their diet includes leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, clams, mussels, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, rodents, birds, and eggs. (allaboutbirds.org)

We had a good look at one this morning:

Last year, the more southernly cousin, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron spent the summer in this park:

Other birds:

A Muskrat was in the pond:

Today’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Ensanguining the skies
How heavily it dies
Into the west away;
Past touch and sight and sound
Not further to be found,
How hopeless under ground
Falls the remorseful day. – A.E. Housman

Miles Hearn