In just 1.5 hours of watching the great blue heron colony at Kiwanis Ravine yesterday, we observed:
- a mating between a pair of herons on a nest that has chicks. This is a nest where, on more than one occasion, we have seen 3 adults on the nest when an eagle is in the colony.
- on a nest with four chicks, one chick was excluded by the other chicks during the feeding. The other chicks pecked at it, and if it moved, pecked it again. After some time, and when the feeding was completed, the chick stood up and moved around.
- an eagle soaring high above, but it did not near or enter the colony. An eagle has returned to the colony several days this week, however.

They say bird-watching must be boring. But it's got everything: suspense, life and death, sibling rivalry, sex....

Didi Anstett
mailto: didianstet at aol.com