4 years and still so much to learn

Female YCNH preens before courtship.

After 4 years watching Yellow-Crowned Night Herons, I continue to learn.

On my walk to their nesting sight, look: bird stands on the treetop bathed in the rising sun.

When I arrived, I saw multiple pairs in the process of deciding which tree and where in the tree to create a nest, and oh yes, who to create with.

I got a lesson in cultivating attention.

And another lesson in how to gather twigs. It takes balance.

Sometimes it takes aerial gymnastics.

Fascinating and new for my observation: I saw a second male contribute to the making of the nest while the female's partner was away. It seems that when building a nest, help is accepted (she accepted the twigs). Female YCNH (standing in the nest) vocalizes about what happened when partner returned after being away.

Part of my birding ritual is to spend a few minutes upon returning home in the butterfly garden next to our place. Surprise! One of the two dozen sunflower seeds I planted germinated. The rest of the seeds? Probably found by the resident-tongue-sticking-out squirrel.

A Bumblebee sleeps on a zinnia and Wood Storks courting

Hello, beautiful community! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Early morning, I tiptoed over to this area of the butterfly garden. At first I thought, is Bumblebee dead? But no, not that bardo. After 20 minutes, it flew off. Bee was likely sleeping away from the nest and warming up on a blossom close to a nectar source. I read that yes, bees, nap!

Then this.

First there was one.

Then many.

And two showed me something new. A pair of Wood Storks courted in a Southern Live Oak tree grove in Woodlawn. A dance began with what looked like whisperings.

Followed by nibbles. A lot of mutual nibbles.

They'd look out across the pond together. That gaze made their toes curl.

Then they'd swoop down in unison almost touching the ground. But before that, bill clicks. Click. Click.

The end gesture was standing still. For maybe 5 minutes, and then again, whisper, nibble, look up, clack bills, swoop down, more nibbles, stand still. Later, I saw them nestled in the trees, still courting. 

Yellow Crowned Night Herons courting

Yesterday morning this Yellow Crowned Night Heron stood near a nest occupied the previous year.

Sometimes YCNH looked up.

 Its coral red legs signal courtship time. See that yellow area on its crown. Yep, that's where it gets its name.

I noticed a span of quiet with abundant feather preening, likely readying for what followed: a squawk and display. 

The squawk.

The display.

 

Its partner, in an adjacent tree within view, squawked back, no display. This relating dance continued for about an hour.

Eventually, they met in the nest.

Twice today I looked for the pair. Once in the morning and then early evening. They were in the same place both times. This is what I saw. 

And, I noticed a lot of napping. Of course, they are nocturnal birds.

"This species [Yellow Crowned Night Heron] shows up several times in the fossil record, and the earliest recorded fossil is 2–2.5 million years old (from Sarasota, Florida)." - All About Birds. How about that!