For the better part of the summer, a Back-crowned Night Heron has been hanging out on the edge of Lake Appert by the Norman Bench, not that far from the Warden's Watch.

It sits on a branch for hours on end and doesn't seem to mind humans -- which has made him a real crowd-pleaser.

Gotta love those red eyes!  Not scary at all, unlike an American Coot's. (Just sayin'.)

The Black-crowned Night Heron is also a threatened species in New Jersey. Good thing there are places like the Celery Farm for him to call home in the summer.

Johanna & Tom Archer took these photos of our neighbor. (Thanks, Johanna and Tom!)

More on Black-crowned Night Herons here.