The Baby Herons Have Left The Nest!

First flight of a heron? Check the final action sequence!

The Great Blue Heron chicks in Beacon Hill Park have fledged - meaning they have left the colony nests and ventured out into the neighbouring trees in the park.

I have never seen a parent kick a baby out of the nest - perhaps they take that first leap on their own. It does seem to me that once the fledgelings take their initial flight they will perch somewhere and just sit for a very long time. I imagine they are thinking to themselves "what just happened? Where am I?"

Last year I saw a juvenile which had landed next to a pond in the park. It seemed completely unafraid and allowed me to approach almost to within arm's length. I don't think it had learned to identify people, so soon after leaving its nest atop a giant redwood tree.

I can't always be certain which birds are juveniles and which are adults. There isn't much difference in physical size. This next shot is definitely a baby.

And here are a pair sitting on some low tree branches.

Finally, I will show you a sequence of four shots I captured yesterday. Here is a juvenile heron taking flight from a very tall treetop. I can't say if this is its very first flight, but it is just possible...

Thanks very much for viewing, and Happy Landings!