June 18, 2010

Story - Flown the nest!

...well it's happened at last! When I got to the Grey Heron's nest site in Valentines Park today, what did I see but an EMPTY NEST!
All three chicks have now fledged- though I'm sure they'll keep coming back... One chick was on his log, two were bustling about/dozing in the undergrowth and the parent bird was in the same area as yesterday- round on the North/East side of the pond. It was difficult to see the ones in the undergrowth well but they seemed to remain roughly in the same places for about three hours- no big dramas whileI was there thank goodness. It was all quite peaceful for a change.
It was amusing to see one of the chicks practicing being a Drum Major with his baton! He kept picking the stick up, dropping it and then picking it up again. Did he think it was a rigid eel? I am very relieved I have seen the empty nest as I have to go away for about12 days tomorrow and was feeling devastated about leaving the Herons beforeI knew they could all fly! I will still miss them and hope they'll be around when I return...

by Gillian Ware

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