The tide was down and this young Black-crowned Night-heron was exploring in the shallow water.
My, what big feet you have!
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 16, 2022
Juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron In the Mud
Tag Archives: Juvenile Bird
Standing On The Trunk
Another wooden trunk between some old rice fields, this one controls the flow of water from the canal in the foreground to the impoundment behind that dike. This set of trunks was replaced last year and only this side has the full pivoting door mechanism.
I knelt down to get the next image, where you can see open water in the impoundment on the other side. The grackle and the Tricolored Heron had moved on and the juvenile night heron took that opportunity to claim a post.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 14, 2022
Common Gallinule Chicks
A few Common Gallinule chicks were paddling around at the edge of Mary’s House Pond. They moved out into the water a bit as I drove by and I captured these out the car window.
This one seemed to suddenly realize his mates had moved off without him.
Wait for me!
Where’d they go?
An adult wasn’t far off, showing how to get a meal.
Safety in numbers, the family stuck pretty close together.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
August 31, 2022
Common Gallinule Learning The Ropes
My apologies if anyone gets notice of this post twice. I picked the wrong post to schedule, after this had already posted, and now can’t undo it. 🙃
We often refer to Common Gallinules as the early warning system. Any bird in the area who didn’t know we are coming does after what All About Birds describes as
“all sorts of chickenlike clucks, whinnies, cackles, squawks, and yelps. They often call while hidden from view, leaving you wondering what lurks in the marsh. The rapid series of clucks sounds vaguely raptorlike, but the series often ends with what sounds like a laugh.”
The clatter is often accompanied by or followed by them running across the water. The whole business is quite startling for all concerned.
This young bird appeared to be trying out his vocal skills, but I never heard a peep.
Mom just paddled along, saving the water running for another lesson.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
July 29, 2022
Common Gallinule Chick On His Own
A Common Gallinule chick exploring on his own
May 9, 2022
Roseate Spoonbill Chicks
These Roseate Spoonbill chicks were about to get fed, and they were ready!
There were at least three chicks, the two in the middle and check out the lower left corner:
The way the adult facing away from us kept poking down below her mate I wondered if there was a fourth chick out of my view.
A little wider view showing more of the palm tree.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
April 13, 2022
Great Egret Chick Pair, Prequel
After I posted Great Egret Chick Pair yesterday I remembered I had taken some pictures earlier this spring at their nest. They aren’t great images, but I thought interesting as part of yesterday’s story.
On April 29 the adult was laying on the nest, presumable incubating eggs. At that point based on previous years’ outcomes I didn’t have much hope for a productive nest.
Then on May 17th I discovered the chicks had not only hatched but grown enough to be visible.
I’d say a week to ten days old as a guess.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 29 and May 17, 2022
Great Egret Chick Pair
Again this year a pair of Great Egrets attempted to raise a family in a pine bough just off the nature trail at Ravenswood Pond.
Different this year is that they have had success, at least so far. Two years ago the eggs were not viable and last year there were two or three chicks but they did not live long.
Survival rate for chicks is pretty low, and looking at this flimsy nest you can easily identify a few dangers plus they have a number of predators.
In the mean-time, these two have some shade…
and they look well fed.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
June 10, 2022
Brown Pelican Chicks
Ted and I went on the same guided boat adventure as last year to see the juvenile Pelicans at Bird Key Stono Seabird Sanctuary. This trip was much earlier in the young birds’ lives as they are still in the nests.
These pictures are taken from a bobbing boat; I did learn from last year and upped my shutter speed to 1/1600.
There are thousands of birds on this island right now, and as you might expect there were always some in flight. The parents have to go for food, and swoop in and out constantly.
The chicks are still in the nests, which are collections of sticks/reeds, with the young being protected by an adult from the sun. As you can see in the center top a few are starting to move around.
Laughing Gulls are also nesting here and were flying all over, constantly chattering.
June 1, 2022
Bird Key, not much more than a sandbar, is a barrier island that sits in the mouth of the Stono River, between Kiawah and Folly Islands.
Barred Owl Owlet Pair
The owlet on the right is the one from yesterday’s post. After I took that picture he joined his sibling, and that slight head turn was the closest look I got.
May 17, 2022