Normally egrets and herons are large graceful birds, admired in flight, photographed for their beauty, and painted for posterity by many an artist (including me). In breeding season they are even more beautiful when they display their feathers to attract a mate. Egrets and herons are monogamous birds, pairing up for the season to raise a brood or two, and then they are off on their own again until the next spring. When springtime comes, it is one wild time!

First, the male locates the perfect spot to build a nest. Often times there are territorial disputes among males and everyone gets testy. Then he builds a foundation for a nest and proceeds to display his feathers as proudly as possible to attract a mate. Once the female is chosen they tend to get rather cozy with each other, touching beaks, flirting, and getting along famously. One might call this the honeymoon period!

The process of building the nest requires numerous flights back and forth to find sticks. Landings with sticks or even without sticks can look rather ungainly at times and the most beautiful of birds can become almost comical in nature.

Once the kids arrive everything changes! Mom and dad no longer have their together time. The kids are always hungry, vying for mom’s or dad’s attention so that they can get fed first. That’s when the biting starts. Dad gladly goes off looking for food leaving mom with the little ones. The kids get ornery and tend to want to clamp onto mom’s beak. Mom shows tremendous patience both with the kids and with dad, who tends to take his time returning.

As the kids get older they tend to fight a lot. The largest of the brood, which can be up to four, often bullies the others. Sometimes the mom seems totally disinterested and appears to be longing for when the kids fly the coop. When dad returns sometimes mom gets a break and flies off for her “Me Time”. Dad then does his best to take over the responsibilities.

As the young ones turn into juveniles, some broods grow fond of each other and almost appear to be singing songs. They interact and look like they are enjoying each other’s company.

Sometimes, as teenagers, the house gets rather crowded and everyone gets out of sorts. Mom and dad spend little time together and it’s hard to get away from the needy, somewhat spoiled juveniles. Their clamping gets to be rather problematic and almost dangerous for mom and dad. The honeymoon is definitely over!

That’s when the kids are left home alone! They sit and wait for their food to be delivered. They wait and wait until gradually they start figuring out that eventually they are going to have to go out on their own and get their own food! You might call this tough love.

Their peach fuzz gradually turns to real feathers and their wings gain strength. Once they fly the coop mom and dad get their freedom back. Most of the rest of the year the adults go their separate ways, feeding along the shorelines, flying all about, and taking care of themselves by personal grooming and basking in the sun.

By the time spring rolls around and they’ve spent a long, lonely winter, the wild times begin all over again! All of the goings on are a field day for photographers and birders. There is no privacy because of the huge telephoto lenses that are camouflaged and look like bazookas. Birders carry extra strong binoculars, and when mating season occurs you can bet the birders and photographers will have their glass focused on the mayhem!

It’s a wonderful and wild time of year for photography and birding. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the pics I’ve taken over the last few spring breaks and reading about all their antics.

I’ll be starting a Great Blue Heron commissioned painting next, followed by a large nesting scene of either Great Blue Herons or Great Egrets. Please check back soon to see what is on my easel! Thanks for reading my journal and for your interest in my art and my photography.

“One of the joys of being an artist is having the freedom to follow my passion….”

— William R. Beebe

Egrets and Herons Gone Wild ~ Mayhem over Spring Break!