Adult Great Egrets get quite a workout feeding their young, and all this after procuring something for them to eat.
The chicks are aggressive about getting their share.
You can hear the “feed me” chorus, which is how the photographer often knows there is action afoot.
One more go at the regurgitation. I never saw the food, at this age it goes directly into the juvenile’s throats.
That’s it, I’m out.
After having seen a hummingbird at the Powdery Alligator-flag two years ago I always give it a once-over when I pass by a patch.
A thunder storm was closing in on us and the light wasn’t great but it didn’t stop this Carolina Chickadee from gathering some snacks.
The light changed again, giving me hope that the storm was going away.
The extra light was brief and it started raining a short time later.
In addition to the cygnets being pretty cute as they learned to feed, watching the constant motion of the parents and the little ones was rather comical.
Bottoms up is the only way for the swans to get the grass in the deeper water, which also shows off their enormous feet.
The cygnets certainly swam a lot further during feeding than the parents, around and around.
Most of the time one adult had a head up and they all stayed pretty close together.
Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumpter SC
May 20, 2021
A juvenile Great Blue Heron was stalking the edge of the pond where he has spent his life so far at Swan Lake and Iris Gardens.
At Swan Lake there are many swans that a young heron should be attentive to.
Perhaps this Mute Swan realized the heron was no threat as he didn’t get up as the stalking went on behind him.
The heron wasn’t much of a threat to any fish, either.
Ptooey!
Later in the morning I saw a parent bring him some food as he’s still learning how to catch his own.
Continued from Water Buffalo: Breakfast!
Water Buffalo #2 did not have the hangries, and was more of a saunterer.
The two Mallards continued their way around the Buffalo watering hole.
I’m coming…
…and there was plenty of hay for them both.
A pair of Black Australian Swan cygnets were learning the ropes of feeding from their parents.
Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumpter SC
May 20, 2021
The Water Buffalo pair at Middleton Place spend their nights in an enclosed paddock at the back of the stable yard area. I arrived one recent morning just in time to see them let out into their daytime space, and breakfast.
A pair of Mallards interrupted their morning stroll as the first beast skipped on by.
Yes, he was practically skipping with happiness.
Evidently he had the hangries!
I missed the adult’s arrival back at the nest but this trio of Tricolored Heron chicks was quick to prompt the parent to produce food.
Like many of the herons the parents regurgitate what they have caught to feed their offspring.
The biting/snapping/pulling of the chicks seems to have some stimulating action on the process. No worries, no images of the actual food here today.
The squawking may just be for show, and always seems to state I Want More!
When the delivery is over the adult quickly gets out of reach. It’s a wonder any of them come out of this with their eyes intact.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Florida
April 29, 2021
These images show off the behavior better than the bird.
I had never seen a Tricolored Heron fish while flying.
He repeated this several times and dragging his feet in the water was part of the routine, perhaps to startle fish into moving.
You can just see his tiny catch hanging out of his beak.
A dragonfly flew by in an awkward position, sort of tipped to his side, and I thought he must be wounded.
No, he was just weighted down by his lunch, I’d say a skipper moth.
