Great Blue Heron cam

[Lizbit]

Another beautiful baby has joined us. I'm going outside to howl.

Signed,
Auntie Liz

[Sistine Fanny]

So will ES draw any heron avatars for the big hatching celebration?

Maybe he should start practicing, so we don't get another rainbow donkey.

The herons will have to coordinate their hatching with the NBA playoff schedule then. It's almost real Rally Squirrel time....

lb13

W00t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

[littlebeast13]

So will ES draw any heron avatars for the big hatching celebration?

Maybe he should start practicing, so we don't get another rainbow donkey.

The herons will have to coordinate their hatching with the NBA playoff schedule then. It's almost real Rally Squirrel time....

lb13

W00t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

Maybe some Rally Pips are in order instead.....

lb13

[MarleysGh0st]

Here's a video of the chicks' first feeding, this morning.



Mmmmmm, regurgitated fish!

[Lizbit]

These birdies make me laff and laff! I especially like to see that they love to wrestle, just like their Auntie Liz.

[MarleysGh0st]

And aren't their little punk rocker hairstyles awesome!

[Beebs52]

This is just so cool. I was looking at work yesterday and finally caught up. Yay birdies!

[MarleysGh0st]

Because these birds are not banded, they're not given "official" names, but folks have been suggesting lots of unofficial names. The second chick--the one which hatched from the dented eggs--is being called Arthur Dent, and the first one is being called Ulysses.

One of the moderators has even abbreviated that to Uly!

[MarleysGh0st]

Chick #3 has detached the top of its shell and is almost out of the rest!

[Lizbit]

Because these birds are not banded, they're not given "official" names, but folks have been suggesting lots of unofficial names. The second chick--the one which hatched from the dented eggs--is being called Arthur Dent, and the first one is being called Ulysses.

One of the moderators has even abbreviated that to Uly!

Because everything is unofficial, more unofficial names continue to be suggested. IMO, the funniest submitted for all five babies in one fell swoop are Death, War, Famine, Pestilence, and Fluffy.

[MarleysGh0st]

That's just silly, Lizbit!

Everyone knows that Fluffy is Hagrid's giant three-headed dog.

[christie1111]

I was so busy today I forgot to check in!

I will not make the same mistake tomorrow.

Thanks for the updates and the video Marley!

Too cute!

[MarleysGh0st]

The twitter feed reports another apparent owl attack last night, but herons, chicks and eggs are all okay!

It may be that the herons have had to put up with this harassment every year that they nested, but nobody's been watching at night to witness that, before. The drama's much higher, now that nothing goes unnoticed.

[MarleysGh0st]

We've got four chicks, this morning!

And the last egg may be pipping.

[christie1111]

The last baby should be here today! Looks like it is pretty close to hatching!

[MarleysGh0st]

The chicks' necks are really growing fast!

I was watching a feeding yesterday morning, when Dad had regurgitated a bunch of little fish. One chick managed to swallow an entire minnow that looked almost as big as itself. Then it fell over in a stupor. It made me think of the old Alka-Seltzer commercial:

I can't believe I ate the whoooole thing!

[earendel]

Rats! I've been watching most of the morning hoping to see #5 finally emerge from its shell. I walk away from my desk for five minutes and missed it. Chick #5 entered the world officially at 1:40 PM.

[Lizbit]

I'm going to be the best Auntie Liz they ever had. I'm also going to be the lil clackers' wrestling coach. I think they have a real talent for it.

[christie1111]

They are pretty aggresive with one another when the parent gets up.

Was watching when Mom threw out the shell from baby #5.

[christie1111]

Lots of nest building and feeding today.

Cute when they take a nap as a big ball of fluff.

[MarleysGh0st]

Cute when they take a nap as a big ball of fluff.

Yeah. It's warm in Ithaca, today, so they don't need so much brooding. Instead, it looks like Dad's been standing up, positioned to provide shade for that sleeping pile of fluff.

[christie1111]

Sounds like there was a storm last night but all are well.

The heron watchers said Mom spread out her wings to protect the babies from hail and rain.

Good Mommy!

[MarleysGh0st]

Yeah, looks like Ithaca got a lot of rain yesterday. My neighbor says our power went out for a couple hours and our cable/internet remained out for most of today.

So--trying to cram as much into this weekend as possible--I stopped over at Sapsucker Woods to get a view of the Herons in person. Mom was on the nest and Dad was standing on a log in the pond, intently preening his feathers.

At one point he did some yoga-like move, extending one leg and the corresponding wing behind him. I didn't even know herons did yoga!

[christie1111]

Glad you were able to get to see them in person. And go to the book fair.

Dad will be fine with the aide for a couple of days.

And you will be better with the break. It will make you stronger for the days ahead. But don't think about that now.

On a birding note, they rescued a baby eaglet in MN when his leg stuck for over 24 hrs. They plan on putting him back in the nest as soon as possible.

[MarleysGh0st]

Here are some photos I took on Friday.

This one give a perspective of the dead tree with the heron nest, seen from just south of the Lab of Ornithology:

Spoiler

Here's a picture of Sapsucker Woods Pond, viewed from the Sherwood Observation Platform. Lab of Ornithology is visible on the left; dead tree with Great Blue Heron nest is to the right of that; and Great Blue Heron dad can (barely) be seen preening on a log in the pond, just right of center.

Spoiler

And here's a closeup of the Great Blue Heron nest. Mom is standing guard over the chicks, with one webcam visible above her and one to the left.

Spoiler