The chicks' color and texture appear to resemble the Slash Pine they reside. This photo was taken as the sun was rising.
My camera lens is generous.
I watch the chicks change
and grow with so many new neighbor friends (my memory that needs constant
exercise can recall the names of some of these wonderful people—Sandy, Rene,
Toni, Barbara, Mary Ann, Bob) and others who I’ve gotten to know like Tom and
Jeanne who show up twice daily.
So here’s a night-heron
teaching: letting go is a process.
I recently heard a favorite teacher describe letting go by using her hand. She held her fist out and said that it’s like slowly opening one finger at a time. When we get to 3 fingers, sometimes we go backward and close. And then, we begin again opening to life as it is. With heart.
I recently heard a favorite teacher describe letting go by using her hand. She held her fist out and said that it’s like slowly opening one finger at a time. When we get to 3 fingers, sometimes we go backward and close. And then, we begin again opening to life as it is. With heart.
For the birds, it will be letting go of their nest.
What is it for us?
What is it for us?
For me, well, since it’s
spring cleaning time, it might be letting go of a pair of twenty-year-old shoes
I haven’t worn in over a decade. They’re red and who knows, I might need them
on Valentine’s Day. Ha! More seriously, it's accepting things like loss, you know, like friends moving away, loved ones passing on, or maybe the aging process.
Okay, the birds.
May 20, 2019.
Nest 2. I see 4 chicks
with Mama night-heron.
A juvenile YCNH perches near the Slash Pine tree with the three nests. This juvenile is not a chick from any of the three nests. After about an hour, the adult night-heron of Nest 2 squawks and chases the young bird off. The adult flies after the juvenile in the direction of the big lake behind Timberlake Village.
Nest 1. See those tails in the air? That is the time-to-eat position. Adult night-heron will bend over and deposit the meal.
The parent is fast. I clicked and missed, but you can see the legs just after lift-off.
Birders have a code not to reveal the location of nests. So without a photo, I want to say that night-heron follows that meal delivery with a very short flight to get a drink of water. Neighbors know the location, though, and take delight in watching them drink.
A little later, I can hear their wonder, "Where did Dad go?"
Nest 3 Mama night-heron continues to incubate. Tom finds an egg shell so it appears one chick has hatched.
Look! Before seeing the parent night-heron, the chicks rush to the nest. One peeks to see where its parent is.
Birders have a code not to reveal the location of nests. So without a photo, I want to say that night-heron follows that meal delivery with a very short flight to get a drink of water. Neighbors know the location, though, and take delight in watching them drink.
A little later, I can hear their wonder, "Where did Dad go?"
Ten minutes or so pass.
Then, the flap practice starts. Perhaps energized by nourishment. I notice that they get up in the pine needles and flap flap flap. Maybe it helps support their practice.
Nest 3 parent continues to incubate low in the nest. Here is parent night-heron briefly raising up to adjust.
Nest 2 chicks sleep after feeding.
Their parent perches nearby.
May 23, 2019
The routine is clear. Waiting for dinner just before the sun sets. Nest 1.
Parent preens then naps after feeding and getting a drink. I timed a nap—it lasted 35 minutes.
A chick from Nest 1 branch hopping. How quickly they're growing!
May 24, 2019
I ride my bike to the nest site. After I click my bike stand, I look up. The oldest chick often looks at me. I quietly compliment its hairdo.
May 26, 2019
The oldest chick in Nest 1 is taking short flights. Tom and Jeanne report seeing this older chick fly to another tree, making more than short flapping hops.
There is a lot of curiosity about what is outside the nest from these three.
Nest 2. Just fed.
May 31, 2019
Nest 1. Chick holds wings open to keep cool. It's very hot now, low 90s.
I'm so hot that when I look at the chicks, I think their behavior is about keeping cool. Doesn't that look like a feathered umbrella?
Look! Before seeing the parent night-heron, the chicks rush to the nest. One peeks to see where its parent is.
Here comes dinner! The chicks must sense their parent's nearby presence because they scurry to the nest. They are bent over ready to devour crab. (Likely). All About Birds says this about their food:
“Yellow-crowned Night-Herons feed primarily on freshwater and saltwater crustaceans, including marsh crabs, fiddler crabs, ghost crabs, mole crabs, mud crabs, blue crabs, lady crabs, green crabs, rock crabs, and toad crabs. In inland areas they feed almost exclusively on crayfish. They also eat smaller amounts of earthworms, leeches, marine worms, centipedes, snails, mussels, insects, scorpions, frogs, tadpoles, marine fish, freshwater fish, small snakes, turtles, young birds, and small mammals. Standing still or walking slowly, they forage within several feet of the water’s edge, separated from other foraging individuals by about 15 feet. When within striking distance of prey they lunge with their bills, swallowing smaller animals whole. They grab larger crabs by the legs or pincers and shake them apart, then swallow the pieces whole or use their bills to break them further. They may also impale crabs, paralyzing them to make them easier to handle.”
And that's it. Off parent flies!
June 2, 2019
After an evening feeding. A chick naps with the sun on its back.
