Several pairs of Great Blue Herons are working on nests around the pond, gathering and arranging sticks in a labor intensive effort.
There does not seem to be any sense of urgency to get the nests completed. The males tend to take long breaks between stick trips, taking time to look around and show off their breeding plumes.
The female below appears to be laying on eggs and didn’t get up when her mate brought this nest contribution. Their nest looks pretty substantial already and she did take the stick and found a spot for it.
I enjoy watching nestbuilding, especially when the female works on finding and placing the new piece of ‘lumber’ exactly where it needs to be. Us gals can be particular, right?!! 🙂
Yes and it is fun to watch their rituals and how the mates interact. Sometimes you wonder how those nests will ever hold a family.
They do seem to take great care in the construction of their nests. Wonderful photos of these GBHs!
They do, Belinda. There is a system and they stick to it, at least if they want to be successful raising a family. Thanks!