Immature Green Heron
Older Immature Green Heron Sibling
Male Northern Cardinal
Youngest Immature Green Heron
Brave Youngster Flies Up
Youngest Flies to Tall Tree
One of a Pair of Mississippi Kites
Unnerves All of Us
Great Blue Heron is Tired
of Being Displaced on His Snag
Great Egret Claims the Snag
0655-0935/79-88 degrees F/full sun/20 mph wind gusts
All three immature Green Herons zeroed in on their snag at 0700 hrs. They all have had no
difficulties getting this far, and today was the day that the baby would take bigger steps, but
it was not aware at the time. An adult left the area and allowed the young ones to fend for
themselves today, but it would not be a normal day of learning how to be a big Green Heron.
This was the day that the baby would make some serious progress, as his elders were going to
teach him that he must give up the ghost and take charge of his endeavors. Both older immatures
left that comfortable snag, and the second eldest was going to help his sibling. The little one was
now alone, no longer in the comforting arms of an older bird or a parent. The little one move
around and moved to higher branches, even calling for his family, who watched and waited.
Would the little one make a move?
An older sibling would fly down from time to time, in hopes that the little one would get the
message, but it was a hard sell.
A male Northern Cardinal posted himself next to me in a young tree, calling a warning. This
bird was afraid if he was within my reach, et he wanted us all to know that we were in danger.
Then came a disheartening sound, the call of a hawk. There was a second call, and as I turned
around, I saw them. They cavorted in a bald cypress below the berm. When the blackbirds were
not harassing them, they were looking in the direction of the little Green Herons.
I snapped off several photos of both Mississippi Kites, one of which circled the area, a throng of
Red-winged Blackbirds and grackles in pursuit. This pair was not leaving, and we all had to be
vigilant. The cardinal left, as he did what he came to do: the warning was given, it was up to us
now.
The baby flew to a higher position in Great Blue Heron's snag. He knew that things were not
copacetic on the Southern Cove. The bird craned his neck to see where the strange and
threatening call came from.
The adult bird returned at the rear of the cove where the nest site was located, in case that the
family was required to mobilize. I held fast to my camera and watched and waited with the
rest of the Green Herons.
Once again, the middle Green Heron returned, trying harder to spark the baby in getting his
nerve to move out of a potential harms way where it was out in the open.
To make a long story short, while the kites circled and got ever closer to the home base, the baby
sensed imminent danger. The little one took a deep breath and flew like never before, into the waiting boughs of the bald cypress tree and stayed hidden.
Knowing that all was well in the Land of the Greenery, off I trudged, in pursuit of additional sights.
Great Blue Heron was impatiently waiting for his former post, which had been taken over by the rug
rats. As I passed him near the Southern Cove, I photographed him and waved a greeting.
Upon my return, all birds in the cast were gone, and yet another dweller was on the snag, an area
Great Egret. Again, he was photographed, and again I waved a greeting at him.
Such is the life of a bird and an ornithologist at Boomer Lake on the Southern Cove. Long may
they fly.
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