Here's Looking at You, Kid: Day 8 with the First Family of 2016

                                                          Green Heron Chicks in a Row

                                                 Three Green Heron Chicks on a Diagonal

                                           Two Juveniles(Left) Stirred Up By Adult(Right)

                                                               "Strike Up a Pose"

                                                              Adult Green Heron

                                                                  Juvenile Green Heron

                                                                 Juvenile Green Heron

                               
                                                              Juvenile Green Heron
         

                                                         
                                             Last Born Green Heron Juvenile of June 2016

                                                                Adult Green Heron

                                                               Juvenile Green Heron

                                                                Same Bird as Above


06-16-16

As can be observed, the chicks are getting older.  I believe that the youngest is the only one
now showing any downy tufts of feathers on the head.  They're all progressing nicely, a good
early group.  Chances are excellent that we could easily see three clutches from this family
during the summer, if good weather holds out and plenty of food is available.

Today the oldest bird left the younger ones on their own, returned for the other two, and only
the baby remained.

Birds are still very astute to their surroundings and miss nothing going on around them, a great
necessity for longevity.  The other is a strong will to survive, to which the baby is still a little
lacking in this regard.

However, they are all foraging well, and with time, all good things will happen for the First
Family of 2016.

Day 7 with the Green Heron Family

                                                         Last Born Green Heron Chicks

                                                          All four Green Heron Chicks!

                                                  Three Out of Four Green Heron Chicks

                                               Second and Third Born Green Heron Chicks

06-15-16

0650-0800 hrs./76-80 degrees F, feels like 86/sunny/10 mph S winds/82% RH

This was an excruciatingly hot day, but these neotropical migrants are used to heat, even
newly born birds, as it is genetic.  Again, the oldest went of with a parent, and the rest
of the young ones stood by to wait for their return.  Here's what they did, as today was a
day of observation for the younger birds.

These juveniles take in everything that they see, no matter what it is.  Larger birds are a
perceived threat, and smaller birds and insects are a sight of curiosity.  It may appear in the
photos that these little ones are really doing nothing, but they are taking in a lot of information,
which prepares them for their future as an adult, IF they make it that far.  Half of the baby birds
don't survive their first season, as migration takes a toll on their bodies.

Green Heron Chick Growth Process

06-13-16 Day 5

0657-0838 hrs./73-75 degrees F/cloudy/light and variable winds/86% RH

Since these are all topical, I have refrained from naming the species.  Also for this reason, it had
been cloudy and there was a good chance for rain, so I took the best of these shots obtained.
Possibly in view of the weather as well, all the Green Herons did was just sit around.

06-14-16

0655-0839 hrs./incremental cloudiness/10 mph southeast winds/87% RH

This was another cloudy day, where the sun was in-and-out, mostly in.  It was a relatively quiet
day, but a parent took the two eldest birds away from the cove.  There was an attempt to locate
them in the area, but it was not possible to determine their whereabouts.  The two youngest birds stayed together in the area for about half an hour, then the youngest left the area, running up a limb to the nest tree.

Fortunately, it was a good day in that a good photo of three of the Green Heron chicks could be
obtained together.  This gives one an approximate idea on how they are aging, especially when one notes the lessening of downy feathers upon their heads as they get older.  It is even possible for the
layperson to determine which birds are the oldest.

These Green Herons Are "Super Chicks"

                                                                  Green Heron Chick

                                                             One Green Heron Parent                  

                                                     Two Oldest Green Heron Chicks

                                                                             Ditto

                                                                              Ditto

                                                           Second Green Heron Parent

                                                        Second Youngest Green Heron

                                                        Two Oldest Green Heron Chicks

                                                              Oldest Green Heron Chick

                                                              Female Orchard Oriole

                                                                 Parent and Youngster

                                                                Green Heron Chick
                                                        "Look, I'm on No Man's Land!"

                                                               Green Heron Chick

                                                                            Ditto


Yesterday, 06-12-16
0650-1010 hrs./74-84 degrees F/partly cloudy/10 mph S winds

These events were a day to go down in the annals of Green Heron parenting.  These Super
Chicks are progressing VERY rapidly, including the youngest that fledged the day before yesterday.
All of them are on the wing to some degree, and one was even bold enough to be on land, which is
not typical behavior.  All these birds wanted to do was something, and they were driving one of
the parents ragged.

All the youngsters are in extremely good health, very vivacious, and behaving like birds that are
several days older.

The Deep Woods of Boomer Creek and Green Herons Take Charge

                                                                  Two Raccoon Kits

                                                    Oldest Fledgling Green Heron, Day 1

                                                                Green Heron Parent

                                                                     Great Egret

                                                                 Mother Raccoon

                                                                   Eastern Phoebe

                                                          Green Heron Chicks, Day 2

                                                                Green Heron Chick

                                                         Oldest Green Heron Chick
                                                            Exercises Those Wings

                                                                Green Heron Chick
                                                   Just Fledged and Can Fly Respectably

                                                         Adult Red-bellied Woodpecker

                                                       Juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker



June 10/11, 2016
74-84 degrees F/0700-1025 hrs./partly cloudy/12 mph S winds

A good portion of these photos were taken in the deep woods of Boomer Creek, which
includes the raccoon family, Eastern Phoebe, Great Egret, and the Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

You have all been waiting for news of the Green Heron chicks, who are all doing very well.
As of this post today, there are four beautiful, healthy chicks.  After a minor setback with an
uninitiated boater/fisherman that frightened them off, they have come back with a vengeance.
For starters, these chicks are three weeks earlier than those of last year.  Secondly, the parents
are seasoned birds and know how to raise a family.  As a matter of fact, they have done so well,
the youngsters were flying after two days out of the nest.  The birds being viewed here are the first two chicks, the oldest of the clutch.

As you can see with these chicks, they have white, downy feathers on their heads, short wings, and
their breast and neck feathers are very streaked.

061216 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

http://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-no-shortage-of-intrigue-at-boomer/article_83c8ffc4-3027-11e6-9351-d31f49a1f99e.html