Egrets are beautiful

Egrets have an elegance and grace that enthrall us.  We can’t look away, we can’t stop watching.  (And, of course, we can’t stop photographing them!)

We also find them amusing – their hair styles are a delight.

Since egrets live in wetlands they are relatively easy to find – although we have already seen that if we really want to watch egrets, if we want to observe their nests and study the details of egret lives, we may have to …

watch out for the alligators!

Egret family life begins …

Egrets form monogamous pairs each season.  (We don’t know if this pairing carries over to the next season.  Since Florida egrets needn’t migrate, these egret pairs might last longer than egret pairs who migrate each season.)  The male starts the nest and then attracts a female.

The male builds a nest platform from long sticks and twigs.  After the nest is started the male may finish it himself or he may bring back and give the female twigs so she can finish the construction.  The couple lines their nest with pliable plant material that dries to form a deep structure that holds the chicks safe.

The egret pair build a large untidy nests up to 3 feet across and 1 foot deep.  The eggs are a beautiful shade of blue-green.

While both egrets incubate the eggs, the female probably spends more time on the eggs during the 3-4 weeks before hatching.  During this time the male brings her food.  Egrets eat mainly small fish but they also eat amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals and invertebrates such as crayfish, prawns, shrimp, and will even eat grasshoppers.  The male will bring back dinner and feed his mate by regurgitation.

Anarchy in the nest!

The little wonders have hatched!  We have a pile of baby egrets.  We know they are beautiful, so what could go wrong?

Well, for starters the chicks might wake up.

When hatched, Egret chicks have long, white down covering their back.  Their eyes are open but their feathers and muscles are not developed enough to fledge – to fly from the nest.  For 6 to 7 weeks the baby egrets are completely dependent on their parents.  Both parents work together to raise the chicks.  As we will see – both parents are needed.  This chick is now awake and ready for business.

Now look at these chicks – they are ready for action!  There won’t be a peaceful moment for quite awhile.  How the parents will survive is beyond me!

Chick-care is an amazing full time job.  Below, an egret parents spreads her wings to shelter the young chicks from the hot Florida sun!

The parents watch as the chicks wiggle and squirm and wrestle and fight.

Feed me!  Feed me!

As every parent knows, an open month is the universal command, “Feed me!  Feed me!”   This requires adult egrets to regurgitate their meals to feed their newborn offspring. It is a very efficient way of delivering food to their young. They needn’t carry anything and it has already been warmed up.

Egret hatchlings are born with with an innate feeding behavior necessary for survival.  The chicks instinctively peck at long objects with marked color contrast.  They peck and grab onto their parents’ bills, eliciting a feeding response.  Grab and eat!

As they wait to be fed, the chicks practice the skills necessary to eat as the parent regurgitates the meal.

A parent arrives at the nest and moves into position – while previous on-duty egret prepares a quick departure.  The chicks race toward the target.

First one there, grabs!

And keeps on grabbing!

Then the next one grabs,

And keeps on grabbing!

I think you can see the joy in the egret’s face when her partner returns for his feeding duty.

Because he’s going to get the same treatment she got!

More anarchy in the nest

“Hey look!  My muscles!  I’m going to fly soon!”  No wonder the nest is built so large.

“Hey look at this – I can chew with my mouth open!”

OK, a little quiet time …

until it’s time to eat again!

More exercise strengthening those wings!

But now the sun is going down – perhaps they’ll go to sleep.

Well this parent isn’t going back to the nest until the chicks are asleep!

Blue Heron chicks are next!