Heron Chicks Stretching Their Wings

There were 2 Grey Heron Chicks ( very big now -- close to adult size) stretching their wings, and pecking at their nest and at the lake) in the low-built nest at Shingu Ike Lake today. I wonder if they can fly, but I didn't see them try to.... Lots of wing flapping, though.

There Are Still Chicks In Three Nests In The Heronry At Hattori Ryokuchi Koen

There were still big chicks (at least half of adult-size) in the 3 Grey Heron nests I checked today surrounding Shingu Ike lake at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen.

In the nest built just above water level, 2 chicks were lazing and preening today, and one of their parents was standing on a tree branch about a meter away.

There were big chicks lazing, and parents standing guard in, 2 other Grey Heron nests higher up in trees around the lake.

The lake looks rather lonely with all its winter ducks gone north now. The herons, Little Grebes, and a few Great Cormorants and Common Kingfishers have that big lake pretty much to themselves now.

Really? Grey-Headed Lapwings In The Flooded Rice Fields This Morning

What a surprise! A couple of Grey-headed Lapwings are feeding in the flooded rice fields here this morning after heavy rain yesterday.... I thought the Lapwings would have migrated north by now....

One Heron Chick Home Alone

In the Grey Heron nest built just above water level at Shingu Ike Lake in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen, just the smallest of the 3 heron chicks was snoozing and preening at around 4 PM today. I couldn't see the other 2 chicks, or either parent.... I wonder where they were.

Three Grey Heron Chicks "Home Alone"

When I stopped by to check on the Grey Heron nest located just above the waterline at Shingu Ike Lake in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen at noon today, the 3 heron chicks were alone (no parent with them) in their nest. During the 20 minutes I was there, 2 of the chicks spent most of their time standing, looking around, preening, and stretching their legs & wings. The third chick, which was only about half as tall as the other 2, spent most of the time dozing, but got up and stretched and preened briefly a few times. Today is the first time I've seen the chicks "home alone" without a parent in the nest.

37 Species Of Birds Seen In Hattori Ryokuchi Koen In Osaka With Wild Bird Society of Japan On April 14, 2018

Species  -- Number of Birds Seen

Eurasian Wigeon 4

Spot-billed Duck  8

Northern Shoveller  1

Green-winged Teal  6

Little Grebe  5  ( 2 parents and 3 chicks)

Rufous Turtle Dove  (6)

Japanese Green Pigeon. (6)

Great Cormorant  (4)

Black- crowned Night Heron  (2)

Grey Heron  (8)  ( 2 adults and 6 chicks in 2 nests)

Little Egret  (1)

Coot  (5)

Common Kingfisher  (1)

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker  (5)

Carrion Crow  (7)

Jungle Crow  (16)

Varied Tit  (2)

Great Tit  (12)

Barn Swallow (14)

Brown-eared Bulbul  (42)

Long-tailed Tit  (4)

Crowned Willow Warbler  (1)

Japanese White Eye  (6)

Grey Starling (2)

Black- throated Thrush. (1)

Pale Thrush. (4)

Dusky Thrush  (3)

Japanese Robin  (2)

Tree Sparrow  (50)

Grey Wagtail  (1)

White-faced Wagtail  (1)

Japanese Wagtail  (1)

Brambling  (12)

Oriental Greenfinch  (8)

Black- faced Bunting (1)

Rock Dove  (53)

I Wish I Could See The Parent Feeding The Heron Chicks

The Grey Heron chicks and parent standing guard in their nest just above water level at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen Shingu Ike lake are doing fine again today. I wish I could be there sometime when the parent feeds the chicks, just to see how they do, but I've not seen it yet. The chicks are growing and active (stretching, standing, snuggling each other, and looking at human birdwatchers, I think) though, so must be getting fed....

I haven't seen these parent birds switching places either -- one to go hunting for food, the other to stand guard in the nest. I wonder when & how they do that....