Three fledgling Green Herons appeared this morning along with two adults (presumably their parents). These prehistoric-looking creatures make the dinosaur-bird connection entirely plausible. Their gawky, crested, streaked-neck appearance with greenish legs, heavy straight bill and fuzzy down on top of the head suggested birds just barely out of the nest. They seemed to be barely able to hang on to their perches or to fly from one branch to another but that didn't prevent them from being feisty and openly squabbling with each other! The family was in, on or by the pond when I first came down but, using the dead trees at marsh edge, they gradually worked their way ahead of me to the top of the marsh.
Royal Terns continue to fly up and down the creek, outnumbering even the gulls, Spotted Sandpipers continue around the muddy pond edges and both Yellow Warblers and young Yellowthroats can be seen working the low vegetation back of the marsh. A Tree Swallow and a Chimney Swift were flying with the Purple Martins and Barn Swallows over the marsh.
Eric Salzman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment