Summer is Still Going Strong with Medium Migratory Movement

                                                            Adult Green Heron(Parent)

                                                         Green Heron Chicks, Clutch 2

                                                                  Great Blue Heron

                                                                           Ditto

                                                        Green Heron Chick, Clutch 2

                                                                       Ditto, Gaping

                                                          Green Heron Chick, Clutch 2

                                                                    Mississippi Kite

                                                           Green Heron Chick, Clutch 2

                                                                          Ditto

                                                                          Ditto

                                                          Green Heron Chicks, Clutch 2
                                                                    "Partners in Crime"

                                                         Green Heron Chick, Clutch 2

                                           

                                                                      Dragonfly

                                                                    Molting Great Egret

                                                                        Viceroy

                                                                     Gulf Fritillary


Photos of the young Green Herons were over the past several days.  They are growing quickly,
as they need to do in order to get ready for migration.  Finally, we're getting a few butterflies
in the area, but each year they seem to be lessening, most likely due to prevalent use of pesticides
in Meico, where they overwinter.  Native milkweed plants are also invasive, so farmers are eradicating food for the young butterflies and caterpillars by removing them.

Migratory movement is about medium strength, still plenty of assorted flycatchers in the area, as well as Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and Yellow Warblers.  Fall birds are moving in, with good populations of
assorted woodpeckers and still numerous Eastern Phoebes.

Eastern Kingbirds, Common and Great-tailed Grackles are roosting, so they will be on the move
soon enough.  Then the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will be right behind them.  If you notice, a few
of them have been spending their days at the lake.

Share staples with those at your feeders, and you'll be rewarded with migratory stopovers.  Songbirds
enjoy bathing in, as well as the sound of running water.  Please provide black oil sunflower seeds and suet for those birds on the move, as they are high calorie nutrients.

Immature Youngsters Almost Ready for Fall Migration

                                                                      Viceroy

                                                              Male Northern Cardinal

                                                             Juvenile Brown Thrasher

                                                        Female Red-winged Blackbird

                                                            Immature Northern Mockingbird

                                                             Immature Eastern Phoebe

                                                             Immature Eastern Phoebe

                                                        Female Red-winged Blackbird


0645-0915/76-82 degrees/sunny/20 mph wind gusts

There is a strong crop of young birds all over the lake, who will be easily ready for fall migration.  Time is still on our side to admire their progress.  This has been a fabulous year for most of them.
For the ones that didn't make it, it was not their fault, but due to natural selection.  The parents
have done a wonderful job so far, and some of them will have second and third clutches this
season.

Green Heron Fledglings, Day 4

                                                           Black-crowned Night-Heron

                                                        "Here's Lookin' at You, Kid."

0700-0845/partly cloudy/light and variable winds/67-72 degrees

The young Green Herons are learning rapidly, but the Black-crowned Night-Heron sowed up and tossed a monkey wrench into the pot today.  This larger heron was new to the youngsters, and they were afraid and had no idea on how to react with this monster over their heads.  They kept still and silent, but when the Night-Heron went into their tree where the nest is, both parents reacted by going within the tree, too.  The parents emerged in approximately ten minutes, but I have no knowledge on what happened with the Night-Heron.  Everyone went about their business, though cautiously and silently.  Both parents stayed close, although they expected problems.  The Great Blue Heron was oblivious to everything, and remained on his usual snag in the Southern Cove.