Side by side in the nest, minding their own business, these two Great Egret chicks just couldn’t sit still any more. At least one of them couldn’t.
First it looked like brotherly hug.
Then, WHAM, I got you!
And again!
Back to minding their own business. No blood in evidence.
I wonder what was going on. So interesting to witness. Excellent shots Ellen!
All the egrets and heron chicks seem to do it to some extent, although this looked really mean. I suspect it is part of learning how to manipulate their beaks and strengthen their necks. I’d say boredom, but we all know the herons have infinite capacity to stand and stare so I’m not sure that is part of their makeup…maybe they don’t learn that till later!
Good gracious, what an attack! Kids will be kids. You know he must have tattled when Mom returned, “Mom, he’s biting me again!” 🙂
And they take it all in stride. LOL, then “Stop that, you’ll poke your eye out!”
That’s another real good one! hee hee