spotted towhee, nightjar, bittern and herons

[Marcia Wade - Lafayette, Boulder County]

          On Sat. June 6, I saw and heard a spotted towhee happily singing in a tree next to Wanaka Lake, and a pair of western grebes in the lake, and an osprey flying over it.  Same day, saw a pied-billed merganser at Hecla Pond - he was alone - and a juvenile black-capped night heron has been flying around early evening every day for at least the past week.  Isn't it too early for this year's juveniles to be flying around already?  I thought perhaps he was a last year's baby.  Does anyone know when they get their adult plumage?  I also heard a bittern at Hecla, but did not see him - I've only been able to see bird once in the 5 years I've been stalking it, but he vanished B4 I could even get my camera up.  Also at Hecla, the great blue heron show continues - I know they are common, but it think it's uncommon to be able to see the whole process from gathering sticks for the nest to the fledging of the juveniles - and I didn't have to drive to Hygiene to see it.  It has also attracted the younger set - I spoke with two recent h.s. grads who were over the moon about seeing the babies being fed - it was very sweet.   (Pic below, just b/c I think it's neat.)

          To the gentlemen who ventured out to hear the things that go bump in the night:  Thank you.  I love to wander around at night when the moon is bright, and have heard things I cannot find or identify.  I listened to a saw-whet owl's sound after reading your post, and that's one of the sounds I have heard and was unable to identify for years.  Also, listened to the nightjar sound - I heard one of them just the other night on the Coal Creek trail when the moon was full-ish - probably Sunday.  The recording I listened to just ID'd it as a nightjar, so don't really know which kind of nightjar it was, but I've been trying to figure out if it was even a bird for years.  Thanks again!                           One last thing.  Could someone please tell me if the bird pictured below is a savannah sparrow?  I know they are real common, but I don't remember seeing one before and didn't know what it was and was the only one I could find in books or online with yellow over its eyes, and l was close enough to see it was definitely yellow.  Thanks in advance.