Tidings of Great Joy: Clutch 4 AND 5 Have Arrived

                                                               1st Summer Green Heron
                                                         Congratulate a Brand New Parent

                                                         Green Heron Chick, Clutch 5

                                                         Green Heron Chicks, Clutch 4

                                                           Green Heron Chick, Clutch 4

                                                     Second Green Heron Chick, Clutch 4

                                                         1st Summer Green Heron (Left)
                                                        with One Clutch 5 Chick (Right)
                                                     

                                                           1st Sumer Green Heron (Left)
                                                         with One Clutch 5 Chick (Right)

                                                       Clutch 5 Chick Just After Feeding
                                                   

                                                                Same Clutch 5 Chick

                                                                     Clutch 4 Chick

                                                    Second Clutch 4 Green Heron Chick

                                                             1st Summer Green Heron

                                                         Green Heron Chick, Clutch 4

                                                                            Ditto

                                                                          Ditto

                                                                     And Ditto


Yesterday, 07-28-16

71-80 degrees F (feels like 86)/0710-0922 hrs./partly cloudy/no wind/94-78% RH

I have been waiting with bated breath for days, and it finally came to pass.  After two days of
sporadic rain and mostly cloudy days, I was finally able to go to the lake.  Sixth sense told me
that I should have a clutch, which I did.  Then I saw the second clutch climb down the center
tree a short while later.

Unable to contain my excitement, it wasn't easy trying to follow the antics of two sets of two
youngsters.  Clutch 4 is the older of the two.  This is the batch from the center tree, which had
no easy access.  Having surveyed this tree, I was postulating that the chicks would either exit
via the rear of the tree, which didn't have water over it, or they would be late in arrival, due to
the fact that they needed flight ability.  This is the tree that I observed the sticks being delivered
at when we were watching clutches 3 and 4.

Both of these clutches are the first sires of both sets of the 1st summer herons, which is why they
were so active in feeding the other clutches.  They were honing their parenting skills, in tutelage
from the adult birds.

Observing these brand new youngsters was a treat for me, as a gaggle of Canada Geese came into
The Cove and clutch 5, who is nearest the inlet/outlet fled into hiding.  They eventually ran up to
their nest tree, which was the nest tree for our first clutch of the year.

Then a couple of Mallard juveniles swam into the cove, temporarily displacing clutch 4, the
slightly older birds.  The chicks just went higher in their snag.

All birds were very active yesterday and I am pleased with their early progress.  I will be back on
the job in the morning!