2019 Green Herons and Nestlings in the 'Hood

                                                            Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
                                                               Oklahoma State Bird

                                                                 Least Flycatcher

                                                         Domestic Ruddy Shelduck

This beautiful bird is called an exotic in the United States, but it is a native of Eurasia.  Shockingly, it looks like a duck, but sounds like a goose and tends to hand around with our Canada Geese.  The Ruddy Shelduck has been in the area over a year.  It tends to get lonely during breeding season, and parent geese shun it, as their job is to protect their young from predators, at all costs, even if this beautiful duck is a friendly sort.

05-26-19 Continuation

                                               Adult Green Heron Feeding Four Nestlings

                                                 Female Green Heron Brings Up the Rear
                                                         Guard Duty For Predators
                                       

05-27-19

0715-0811/75-76 F/mostly cloudy/SSE-12 to S-16/79% RH/29.95 Hg and falling to 29.94 Hg and steady

Day 3 with our Green Heron nestlings in sight.  They could well be older, just not have been big enough to be seen at the nest.  Parents stay very close at this stage.  When one is procuring food, the other will be on or near the nest.

05-28-19

0725-0837/74-77 F/variable clouds/S-17/79-78% RH/29.74-29.75 Hg and falling

Day 4 with nestlings in sight.

                                                        Green Heron Nestlings #1

                                                                        #2

                                                                             #3
       

                                                                            #4

                                                                                #5

                                                                              #6

                                                                             #7

                                                                             #8

                                                                                  #9

                                 
                                                                           #10

                                                                              #11

                                                                            #12

                                                                              #13

                                                                            #14

                                                                             #15

                                                                            #16

05-30-19

0711-0830/62-68 F/clear/87-79% RH/29.94 Hg and steady to 29.99 Hg and rising

Day #6 with Green Herons growing well and quickly.  They have crowded the parent out of the nest and don't like being too contained.  They know when dad arrives with food and are very attentive.  This was also the day that we discovered that we didn't have four nestlings, we had five.  Look closely and you will notice that fact, as well.

Bell's Vireo seems to have moved into the area, too.  I believe this singing male was the former bird that had territory running across the lake from the east to the west side.

Heron Cove is turning into a very productive area that had swamp habitat during the excess rain, which drew a good number of neotropical migrants.  There is still a bit of swamp area left, but most has receded.  No waterthrush has been seen yet, but the habitat is quite appropriate.

Brown Thrashers are also nesting at Heron Cove, as well as the Warbling Vireo, Northern Cardinal, and a pair of Eastern Kingbirds recently paired here.