164 



Bird - Lore 



of fish which have fallen to the ground. Here and there are the remains of a young bird 

 who did not meet the laws of arboreal life successfully. Should a visitor climb toward 

 the nests, the young birds still further show their unsociability by disgorging their last 

 meal. The Herons also have good allies in the mosquitos, whose method of attack might 

 repel any human foe who attempted to harm the landlords of the settlement. 



The nests of these Herons were ragged platforms of dead sticks built in the forks 

 of trees about 10 to 20 feet from the ground. The birds, it should be noted, usually 



repair the old nests, which do not 

 show the high degree of craftsman- 

 ship exhibited by other birds, while 

 cleanliness is an unknown factor. 

 In this latitude, the Black-crowned 

 Night Heron returns about the 

 second week of May, and as it is 

 found breeding often into June, 

 one may find the young in all 

 stages of development during the 

 midsummer months. 



The baby Herons wear a coat 

 of gray down and have a promi- 

 nent head-crest. The one in the 

 picture appeared to be dead, and I 

 had to poke him several times be- 

 fore I learned that he was 'playing 

 'possum.' He would not hold up 

 his chin, so appears as a fluffy ball 

 in his photograph. 



In less than a month these 

 babies become nearly as large as 

 their parents. This rapid growth 

 is due to their enormous appetites. 

 The old birds not only work nights 

 but have to leave the homestead 

 in the afternoon to keep the young well fed. They bring in fish, eels, and frogs and 

 can ill afford to have 'fisherman's luck.' The food is softened and partially digested in 

 the alimentary canal of the adult before it is served to the young. To have a family 

 of three or four average 1.5 feet in height in their bare feet, in four weeks, is an under- 

 taking that keeps both father and mother Heron working full time. 



The young Heron has a dress more like the Bittern's than that of its parents. In 

 this early period the color of the young blends well with the trees, making it more diffi- 

 cult to discover them. Sitting, day in and day out, like sentinels, except with a more 

 expectant look, they await the return of the parents with food. 



When I climbed a tree to take a picture of one of the young Herons, it began to 

 climb away, and went rapidly to the end of a neighboring branch. If it lost its balance 

 it regained it by using its bill. One unfortunate youngster fell to the ground and was 

 allowed to pose on a limb. If disturbed on the perch the bird erected its crest, opened 

 its cavernous beak, and spread its wings, presenting a terrifying appearance sufl&cient 

 to drive away anyone having designs on its tender and plump makeup. 



It was interesting to watch the adult birds feeding on the marshes and along the 

 creek in front of the camp. They wade ankle-deep (usually thought of as knee-deep), 

 often standing still. When food is spied, the arched neck allows the bird to strike with 

 great force. To a small fish the Heron's leg must resemble a stick, and the light ventral 



NEST AND YOUNG OF THE BLACK-CROWNED 

 NIGHT HERON IN A PITCH-PINE TREE 



