Heron Update

    I checked on the herons a week or so ago, and low and behold, there were chicks. Big chicks! And as fast as they're growing, they'll be out and flying in no time. I figured they must have hatched not too long after I put up the post with the mothers sitting on the nest, a little over a month ago. So, if I don't go check on them, in the next day or two, I may not see them again.


" Hellooooo"

   When I went down to The Plantation to check on the nests, the first nest was empty. There was no mother, no chicks, no activity at all. This made me think that it may have been robbed. Possibly by a vulture, maybe a raccoon, or some other kind of animal that would have been able to climb the tree, and get to the eggs. Figuring up the time line, the mother should have at the least, been sitting on the eggs. When I went to leave, I saw her sitting in a tree across the road from the nest.   


Dad?

    Then I went to the second nest, at the very end of the island. I  could see that things had progressed and these eggs had hatched.  
   When I first arrived, I could see movement in the nest, but it was hard to tell how big they were, or how many there were. But, I waited, and waited some more. It started getting dark, and I was just about to leave, and things started happening.

   One of the chicks stuck their heads up and let out a big "whoop,"  and it was clear, the wait had paid off. 
  From that point on, it became a real social event. I figured it was Dad that flew in first to check on things. Then a snowy white egret showed up to see what was going on. 

   After the chick exercised his vocal chords, it decided to get a better view of things and clumsily got out of the nest and sat on the edge. That's when I could see how big they were, and I could see another head sticking up over the top of the nest. But, the active chick didn't stay out of the nest long. All of about 30 seconds and it was ready to get back in the nest where it felt safe.

"Ok, that's long enough. I'm comin' back in!"

   Odds are, they've learned to fly by now. But, the only way of knowing, for sure, is to go back and check on them again. But, if I do get back down there, I'm going to go earlier in the day, when I have more light.
   When things started getting busy, I got excited, and concentrated on getting the shots. Because of that, I forgot to adjust the settings on my camera to make up for the increasing darkness. If I would have changed the settings, the pictures would have turned out clearer.
    I'll try to fit another visit into my busy schedule, But, 'Auntie Reg' is long over due for a day at the beach. Or maybe two! And I'd hate to disappoint her.