The Black-crowned Night Heron was a bird I didn’t even know existed until last year. There are a lot of birding enthusiasts at Reifel, and many of them are more than happy to share their findings. I saw this one fellow with his tripod facing the trees and was trying to figure out what he was looking at. When he told me what it was I snapped a dozen pictures, most of which were obscured by branches.

Since then I’ve seen them a couple of times, the most current one being my last 2015 birding trip to Reifel at the end of November.

I love their red eyes, but really wish I could get a better shot. They always seem to be napping in the same trees, hiding behind the bramble, and the folks at Reifel wouldn’t be too happy with me if I hopped the fence to get a better view.