Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Nesting season (part 1)

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Yellow-Crowned Night Heron on nest, Governor's Island
The Heron Is In

It's nesting season! Out on Governors Island, the Yellow-Crowned Night Herons have returned. The nest they used last year was destroyed somehow during the winter, so they relocated to near the Harbor School. These photos were taken near the end of June I wonder if they've got hatchlings yet.

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Yellow-Crowned Night Heron on nest, Governor's Island
time for a stretch and a scratch

The Common Terns seemed to be doing well; their nest colony isn't in plain view at their new location (their half of Yankee Pier collapsed during the winter and they're now on Tango Pier, which is entirely closed to people) but I could see one fledgling on the pier. Too far for a decent photo, though.

Some birds have fledged their young already (at least their first round, many will renest). Here's a baby Cardinal from Central Park:

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Cardinal fledgling, Central Park
the dark beak is a sign of youth in a Cardinal

and a recently fledged Blue Jay:

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Blue Jay fledgling, Central Park

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Blue Jay fledgling, Central Park
yelling for food

and the Common Grackles have had a good year so far:

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Grackle fledgling, Central Park
time to feed the baby

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Grackle fledgling, Central Park
kids are so demanding

More soon.

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