The adult Great Blue Heron has returned to the nest with food and the chicks know the drill. I tend to think of the adult as “mom,” but it just as easily could be “dad.”
The hungry chicks start in on mom immediately.
The ritual of pulling on her beak may be the impatience of hunger or could be how nature helps her with the next step: regurgitation.
She sticks her beak way down into the nest, so no photos of that happening. I didn’t need to see it anyway!
The chicks have started more wing flapping as they move around, here competing for the food mom brought. She watches over them until the food is gone.
Then the chicks are on their own again.
Wonderful series, beautiful detail. The chicks are starting to look about ready to fly.
Thanks, Belinda. These chicks are growing like weeds and seem to be figuring out how to move their wings. Flying can’t be far off.
wonderful to see these young birds grown up and getting stronger, beautiful set of photos Ellen
Thank you, Tai! I’m enjoying watching them grow and their behaviors develop.
Wow, you weren’t kidding, the chicks look so big now! They look like little mini versions of the adults instead of babies.
They are looking more like a heron every day. It’s funny to watch them make the same grooming and head posture moves as the adults.