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Thursday, August 1, 2024

Summer Heron Birdwatching Report

 

Summer has been flying by as usual here in NW Ontario.   No sewing or quilting happening as I have been spending my days out in the garden or on the lakes kayaking.  Also keeping busy with my favorite summer activity birdwatching and bird photography.  I am enjoying the hummingbirds but we definitely have fewer birds this year.  I also would go every Sunday from mid May to mid July to see the Herons in their rookery on the highway near our place.  We watched all 15 nest activity transition from sitting on eggs to the hatching to the feeding then fledging. It is amazing how fast these large birds grow and each nest had on average 3 chicks.

Two chicks along starting to test their wings.





 I'm sure is how the term 'feeding frenzy' started!




These are the size of the chicks at the end of June.


Parent returns to feed and the frenzy begins.  They get very noisy and start grabbing the parents beak and fighting with their siblings.



Lunch time.


Parent leaves as there isn't much room for them now.



Young are testing their wings and flying from branch to branch getting ready to fledge.




Hard to tell the chick from the adults at this point.  The nests were all empty by the 3rd week in July.



4 comments:

  1. Fabulous pictures. Thank you for sharing

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  2. Precarious perching, and nests quite close to each other. What a transformation from chick to flying away.

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  3. Hi Kathy, Your heron pictures are wonderful! Such a treat to see the chicks in the nest and watch them grow. Thanks for sharing your images. I have been following your blog for many years and enjoy it so much.
    Hugs,
    LuAnn Kessi
    https://luannkessi.blogspot.com/

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  4. Ditto LuAnn Kessi. As to these photos - I'll never get "comfortable" with these long legged birds perching in trees It looks soooo precarious! And ridiculous! :)

    maqggie

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