The Green Heron Adventures, Including Meeting a Diamond-backed Watersnake

                                                           Green Heron Fledgling
                                 

                                                     Face-off Between Adult and Fledgling

                                                       Green Heron Adult (rear) with Fledgling
                                                                                 (front)

                                                                     Smooth Arrival

                                             
                                               Green Heron Adult Between Trees 2 and 3

                                                                 Leaving the Perch

                                                         Green Heron Adult Taking Off

                                                          Green Heron adult building nest

                                                         Diamond-backed Watersnake

                                       
                                              Diamond-backed Watersnake (L) with Fledgling
                                                                         Green Heron

                                    

                                                             Looking For That Big Snake!

                                                         Green Heron Clutch 2 Tree 3

                                                                           
                                                             I know dad's coming!

                                                                     Yelling for dad

                                                                         Dad's gone!

06-28-18

0700-0831/81-84 F/clear/S-11/69-68% RH/29.95-29.97 Hg and steady/SSE-6 to S-9


By the time 0800, rolled around, the Cove was a hotbed of pure activity.  There were two
older fledglings in attendance (as well as an easy four foot diamond-backed watersnake).
The older fledge was eyeing this good-sized reptile, then went looking for it when it rolled
off its log into the water.

There were a couple of subadults that come in for baby care, which prepares them for their
own young in their third year.  They have been tending to the fledglings by teaching them
hunting skills and how to be successful in survival.

Only three adults have been observed, but one nest was just made in tree 2.  The sires came
from trees one and three, but I expect at least one or two more clutches afterward.

As noted earlier, both older fledges are very flighted, as they had to be in order to get to land.
It was a rough year after breeding last year with several god storms, which brought down limbs
and branches that were used for egress.  Now that those are gone, nest and tree time is much longer.

Older young birds still expect the adults to feed them, but the adults don't play around with that
mentality long.  They want their young to be earning their keep as quickly as possible so they can
raise more young.

Today, one of the adults led the younger bird (clutch 2) on a flying chase.  Oddly, after that workout the little one disappeared, likely going to sleep.  They don't possess a great deal of endurance at
that age, but in a week, they will be a lot stronger and more able to care for themselves and even younger birds.