Wintering Black-crowned Night Heron - Bartow County

12/12/2011 - I observed a juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax) while birding some Bartow County property last December. 


I was drawn to a grove of Water Oaks by the constant scolding of about 20-30 passerines. I figured a hawk or owl may be the culprit, but was surprised to find the heron instead! This is the first time I have observed this species during the winter in this part of the state. I can't recall other reports of wintering Black-crowned Night Heron in the mountain region, but there may be a
few. 

The Annotated Checklist of GA mentions one record from Whitfield County on February 19, 1962 
by Ann Hamilton. A nice surprise to an otherwise hum-drum day of birding.