Young Snowy Egret Fishing on a Rainy Day - Say Hello To The Next Generation of Birds

This is the time of year we start seeing juvenile birds out and about for the first time. Young seagulls that still sport their spotted feathers who haven't grown the bright yellow beak with the orange spot. Foot-tall turkeys racing around on their own, then coming back to take flight lessons from mom and dad.

I haven't heard the Osprey in a while, but we're still seeing lots of Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets around here, so clearly everyone hasn't flown South just yet. It's just as well, as tropical storm Jose is just off the coast and fixing to dump half a foot of water on us. They might be waiting for some nicer weather.

Strangely enough, today was the first time I've seen a juvenile Snowy Egret out feeding in the cove. There are dozens of nests just around the corner from us, but I guess by the time we see them flying around they're already starting their migration. But today one ventured out of the marsh to make a public appearance.

The only thing that distinguishes this juvenile from an adult is it's small size.

The weather might be too crappy for flying, but a chick's still gotta eat. I guess it's reached the stage where it's expected to do this on its own, because there wasn't an adult in sight.

But look how tiny it is!

Just for comparison, here's a photo of an adult Egret I shared last week, fishing in much better weather. Check out just how tall it is, standing by the same rocks!

In other bird news, the female of the Bobwhite Quail couple we've been watching has been missing for several weeks, but the male makes parades across the lawn on a daily basis. He likes to perch on top of the chicken pen in the mornings, and then he hops down to scout the perimeter for any feed or seeds that the chickens have scattered. I'm hoping that the Missus is doing okay and has just been occupied with sitting on a large clutch of eggs in the under-brush somewhere. But I'm not optimistic. We've had Red-Tailed Hawks and Cooper Hawks dropping by a little too often, and I'm afraid when after they got frustrated by the chicken wire they may have picked up a broody quail as an easy snack.

(I can't blame the cat, because any time she kills something she leaves the remains outside the bedroom door. We haven't found any feathers.)

Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised and see a little batch of quail babies running around before too long.

I love how this place keeps us in touch with natural rhythms. Time and tide carry so much consequence, and it's important to keep an eye on both.

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Previous Science and Nature Posts

What Do Animals Know, and Why Do Honeybees Dance
Project X-Ray: The Bat Bomb
Scenes From The Minnow's Tank
Bobwhite Quail Pair
Marvelous Mimics of Evolution - The Katydid or Leaf-Bug (In My Kitchen!)
Colorchallenge Thursday Green - With Video! - The Katydid Is Back And Singing In My Kitchen!
Black Holes and Misconceptions - What Do We Really Know About The World?