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I was pretty excited when I first saw (and heard) the babies up in the treetops! Painting these Great Blue Herons and their chicks has been a lot of fun, as has watching and photographing them. Read on for the continuation of my spring discovery story.

April 29, 2021. When I returned to the heronry I discovered earlier this spring in southwest Missouri, I was excited to see (and hear) babies. Yes, several of the nests had chicks at various stages of development!

The increased foliage was making it more difficult to observe and get good photos of the individual nests, but I enjoyed watching the activity all the same.

I've spotted my favorite couple's nest. I have no doubt she is incubating eggs (can you see her tail feathers sticking out?). If you remember from Spring Discovery: A Bird Story (Part 1), it's been about a month since this pair began construction. Once the nest is ready, Great Blue Heron females lay 2 to 6 eggs, and the incubation period is 27-29 days.*

Did you notice the little friend keeping her company in the above photo? That Starling stayed there for quite some time.

April 30, 2021. This is the view from our vantage point across the creek. My husband pulls out some folding chairs and we enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Yes, my Nikon P900 has a great zoom!

There is a lot going on at the heronry this evening!

One nest has five chicks!

"My girl" is busy rearranging the sticks in her nest. I still haven't seen her partner fly in. I'll check back tomorrow.

May 1, 2021. Yes, Prince Charming has arrived with a stick, which the missus happily accepts! I had a chance to watch them interact quite a bit this evening. Stay tuned for part 4...

Discover. Paint. Love. Repeat.

* All About Birds is my go-to source for bird information.