Up, Up and Away with the Green Heron Chicks

                                                                    Bell's Vireo

                                                              Green Heron Nestling


060119
0715-0817/72-77 F/clear/SW-4/71-68% RH/30.0 Hg and steady to 30.07 Hg and rising

It's nice that the Bell's Vireo has moved to Heron Cove.  In prior years, this species was on the outskirts.  There is a possibility that this could be another unrelated adult, or offspring.

The Green Heron young are still in the nest, but something is going to happen soon, as I can just sense it.

                                                         Green Heron Nestling #1

                                                           Green Heron Nestling #2

                                                                 Green Heron Nestling #3
   

                                                              Green Heron Adult (Top)
                                                                     Nestlings (Below)

                                                         View #2, Green Heron Adult
                                                                      and Nestlings

                                                                Green Heron Nestlings
                                                                Watching Adult Leave

                                                               Eldest Leaving the Nest
                                                              Remaining Young in Nest

                                                           The Eldest Leads the Way
                                                       Young Follow According to Age

                                                                The Trail Continues

                                                       View of Two Green Heron Chicks

                                                  Two Youngest Green Herons Lag Behind

                                                                  Two Youngest Made
                                                                       It to the Apex

060219
0715-0909/71-82 F/partly cloudy/W-6/76-69% RH/30.01 Hg and steady to 30.04 Hg and rising

The eldest Green Heron nestling led its siblings to the top of the main vertical branch just above the nest.  It took many shots to give the story, while the adult showed them all how to move about the nest tree.

Day 7 With Green Heron Nestlings

                                                              Green Heron Nestling
 

                                                          Green Heron Nestling, View 2

                                                                 Brown Thrasher

                                                     Three of Five teen Heron Nestlings

                                                     Green Heron Nestlings with Parent

                                                    Green Heron Nestlings Awaiting Food
                                                   

                                                  Green Heron Nestlings Awaiting Food,
                                                                   Parent In Rear

                                                               Green Heron Nestlings

                                                                           View 2

                                                           View 3, Nestlings Exploring
                                                 

                                                        View 4, Exploration In Progress

                                                       View 5, Two Eldest Disappearing
                                                                            On Right

                                                              View 5, Three In Nest
                                                               Two Eldest On Right

                                                            Two Youngest In Nest


05-31-19

0712-0846 hrs/64-72 F/partly cloudy/W-2/75-67% RH/30.07 Hg and steady to 30.09 Hg and rising

Day 7 with the nestlings, who ate believed to be older than a week, likely in the vicinity of 3 weeks
of age.  The two eldest made an attempt for a little exploration, but did not go far.

The Brown Thrasher shown is in the area of its nest.  There are several thrasher pairs on Heron Cove.

A Gray Catbird was observed on the east side of The Cove, likely one that nested there over the past several years.

The mother is currently in another nest almost directly behind these young.  As soon as these young were old enough and with proper feathering to not get sunburned, she was upon the second nest.

060219 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-birds-have-food-preferences/article_3fc90c04-b655-5e79-9bb3-1666372f4ef0.html

060219 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-avian-life-suffering-from-flooding-as-well/article_49dd89f0-6637-52fd-8ed5-28743f552011.html

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.