Today Ed Hack and I looked for birds in area of North Springfield  
Reservoir in the towns of Springfield and Weathersfield, VT. A dense  
fog early this morning contributed to a slow start in our searching.  
Eventually the day brightened into very warm and sunny conditions and  
facilitated our finding more than 40 species.

During the morning, on the western side of the reservoir, Ed descended  
a few feet down a slope and, on scanning to the south over the  
wetlands, found in his view, roughly in a row, from left to right, a  
Great Blue Heron, a Great Egret, and an immature Black-crowned Night- 
heron. All three species had been reported from the reservoir within  
the past week. While Ed went to retrieve a camera from our vehicle, I  
watched as the Great Egret slowly walked towards the night-heron. When  
the tall egret was at its closest approach to the lower slung night- 
heron, both birds opened their bills widely while facing one another,  
in an apparently hostile encounter. The night-heron then walked out of  
the way so as to yield a right of way to the advancing egret. The  
birds were thereafter in a left to right order of Great Blue, night- 
heron, and Great Egret.

Later in the day, on the eastern side of the reservoir, we watched as  
a Great Egret approached 3 Snowy Egrets near a piece of drift wood on  
a sand bar. The Snowy Egrets simply fled as the Great Egret walked  
over to the vicinity of the wood, and in that case there was no "face  
off" between birds.

Although the Great Egret stood taller than the night-heron, the  
weights of these two species are reported to be very similar (1.9  
pounds each, according to a Sibley guide). In contrast, the Snowy  
Egret weighs less than half of either of the others (about 0.8  
pounds). Could it be that a similarity of weight between two species  
increases the likelihood of a "face off", whereas a much smaller  
species might simply flee the scene?

Some other highlights today included a Double-crested Cormorant, a  
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 immature Bald Eagles by the nest, a Broad-winged  
Hawk, and 7 Lesser Yellowlegs.

George Clark
Norwich, VT