Tag Archives: MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery

Sunrise on a small pond. Fledged!

Year 5

I returned to my small pond at sunrise this morning. I wanted to visit my Green Heron kids, but also decided to focus upon some other birds. The Belted Kingfisher twins are also now learning to hunt. Although at times they give up and just demand food from Mom and Dad. Sound familiar?!

Belted Kingfisher (the young female first politely asks her parents for breakfast, then demands breakfast, and is ultimately ignored … moved to another tree and starting the process all over again of screaming for food!)

Cedar Waxwing

Green Heron Chicks at Sunrise

Learning to Fish (hang on for dear life … can’t fly or swim!)

Shadow Dancing (Green Heron Adult)

Belted Kingfisher Videos (preening and fishing)

Angry Birds / Green Heron Chicks … The Movie!

Year 5

Eight days ago I found a Green Heron nest with its five chicks. I have patiently been waiting for the chicks to fledge. Today was the day! I arrived shortly after sunup, and rather than clumped together in the nest against the early morning chill, all five Green Heron chicks were clustered out in the open together enjoying the morning sun. Fledged!

At this point the chicks can not fly, but their wing aided leaps are rather comical. I hope you enjoy this sequence of feeding photographs. The parents when they flew in to feed were mobbed within inches of their life. Chicks is a relative term, and the young birds are close to the size of their parents. Remember, you may press or click upon any image to view at full size / resolution.

You will find three videos after the still images, including a feeding.

Green Heron Chicks … enjoying the early morning sun

Mom arrives … mob her!

Feeding in progress

Mom planing her escape

Where did breakfast go? (chicks can not fly yet)

Calm reigns again  … at least till the next feeding … all five chicks

Green Heron Chicks … Mom arrives to feed the young

Dinner call … Mom is outside of the image area

Early morning preen

Green Herons Hunting

Year 5,

Since last Friday I have been watching my Green Heron Nest. The nest is really buried and it is hard to see the chicks. However, they should fledge soon, and then I will be able to observe their first clumsy attempts at hunting. However, their parents never stray to far from the nest and provide me excellent vantage points to watch them catching small fish, frogs and bugs. I hope you enjoy some of the images. I have no idea what kind of water bug one of the parents caught (hunt #2)

Green Heron Hunt #1

Green Heron Hunt #2

Green Heron Hunt #3

Some Cool Poses!

Meanwhile back at my house, only three miles away … the birding is still good. My bee balm has now bloomed and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are constantly in my perennial garden.  The Cedar Waxwings are also very much in evidence … catching small bugs early and late in the day.