There had been a lot of drama on one side of this rookery. Herons protecting territory from aggressive Great Egrets.
It had calmed down for a while and things were normal. Suddenly a Great Egret jumped in the air and charged across the water to an unprotected Heron nest. A single juvenile was there. Pay back time I guess.
Big mistake. Mom was only down the water line looking for food.
That distinct Heron squawk warned the Egret.
The Great Blue came at the Egret, but he dropped down to escape.
A claw may have grazed the Egret, but that’s about all.
Back to the other side went the Egret.
These confrontations are loud and dramatic. But when faced with an opponent who might hurt them any of these birds first tries to move on. A wound out here is not a good thing and can easily be fatal. They all seem to know that.
They certainly are aggressive. Are the egrets slower to establish nesting sites than the herons? Excellent series.
Breeding starts at different times. Herons actually begin here in February. Great Egrets end of March, smaller Egrets and Herons end of April. It’s the bigger the bird, the earlier they start.
All these birds want cypress trees surrounded by water, a small island will do. Competition for everything. Also Egrets and Anhinga are both very aggressive. Herons just territorial.
Thanks for the info.
Great action series!
I know it’s probably not right but it seems the nests are closer and the disagreements more. I probably say that every year LOL
Totally awesome photos!
Thank you. It’s on going and must happen all day. The trick is to be there, in the right spot. More than once I have heard them from places I just left!
Very nice story, Photographer!
These large birds are wild and dangerous. Things like this happen often. Most of the time with a good ending, but not always.
The really good stories happen often, someone just needs to be there to document them. 😀
Thank you for letting me know the story of the wild bird.