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This picture is as good of an overall example of the state of the four siblings as I took all morning. Here all four chicks are clearly present, while both adults were off hunting. When they were smaller I noticed one or other of the parents would always be in the nest. And even on my last visit while the chicks were getting big and the parents both left the nest at the same time, one most of the time hunted almost directly below the nest (There are fish all over this lake, and a favored spot of people who fish here is not all that far up from the nest spot - though of course the nest is safely 30 ft or more above the ground). And sometimes one adult would hunt across on the other shore directly opposite from the nest but within easy view of it.<br />
<br />
But now with the chicks growing quite big, I often went hours without seeing hide nor hair of either parent, as they fished far and wide to feed their ravenous children. But all was not as right as I thought with all of the kiddies.<br />
<br />
The chicks could probably be broken into 3 general levels of health. The first one would belong to the chick flapping it's wings in this shot. Eager active, first to jump at the sight of a parent bringing food, most aggressive trying to be fed. Testing out its wings while standing in the nest or a tall branch.<br />
<br />
The second group would belong to the two siblings under the first one's neck. Not quite as aggressive or active but not quiet and docile either. Now it is certainly possible that all three birds in these first two groupings took turns in my eyes being in one or the other group. After all they all look alike. The only thing I can say is that one chick was almost always more alert and more aggressive when feeding time rolled around than the other two. So it seems odd that I didn't record instances when all three were equally aggressive, or all three equally unaggressive at feeding time, or two aggressive and one more docile. So that's why I lean on the idea that one particular one was always more active and aggressive than the other two.<br />
<br />
The third group belonged to the chick at its feet. With this one there is no doubt. Quite often stationery, and most noticeably, only half the size of it's 3 siblings, something was definitely wrong with this one, but I never clued in on it's stunted size or actions until I carefully looked at the images in my photo editor at home much later, and by then it was too late for me to pay close attention to the doomed chick.<br />
<br />
How I didn't notice at least some of this while photographing the nest that day is beyond me. (Shows you how good a nature photographer I am!) It was not until I was editing these shots weeks later that I came to realize what was going on with this 4th and least fortunate chick. Looking at the nest at the time of this shot I simply assumed that the chick at the feet of its more active sibling simply had its eyes closed. But actually if you look closely you can see that the eye is not closed, its missing.<br />
<br />
If you look at the previous shot to this one you can see this a little better. And you can even see what looks like some kind of scar in front of the eye. When I eventually carefully reviewed this days shoot I thought it odd that all the shots I took of the chicks head when it faced left, I missed getting his eyes open, while all the ones on his right I didn't. That's when I released the eye must be closed due to illness or injury. Then I examined the shots more closely and determined the eye was missing completely. And of course then I knew this chick was in trouble.<br />
<br />
On my next visit to the nest in a few weeks I noticed with out doubt that there was only three chicks in the nest now instead of four, and told that to all the curious onlookers and well wishers. We all wondered what happened to the 4th, if maybe it flew away unexpectedly early - which sounded highly unlikely. But still days away from editing today's shots I couldn't offer a good explanation as to what happened to it.<br />
<br />
As I edited these shots and started to see that it was not long for this world, I wished I had noticed this at the time, so I could have recorded it's demise for the record. Turns out today was the day that was it's last day alive in the nest and I even had a time frame for when this event had to take place.

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This picture is as good of an overall example of the state of the four siblings as I took all morning. Here all four chicks are clearly present, while both adults were off hunting. When they were smaller I noticed one or other of the parents would always be in the nest. And even on my last visit while the chicks were getting big and the parents both left the nest at the same time, one most of the time hunted almost directly below the nest (There are fish all over this lake, and a favored spot of people who fish here is not all that far up from the nest spot - though of course the nest is safely 30 ft or more above the ground). And sometimes one adult would hunt across on the other shore directly opposite from the nest but within easy view of it.

But now with the chicks growing quite big, I often went hours without seeing hide nor hair of either parent, as they fished far and wide to feed their ravenous children. But all was not as right as I thought with all of the kiddies.

The chicks could probably be broken into 3 general levels of health. The first one would belong to the chick flapping it's wings in this shot. Eager active, first to jump at the sight of a parent bringing food, most aggressive trying to be fed. Testing out its wings while standing in the nest or a tall branch.

The second group would belong to the two siblings under the first one's neck. Not quite as aggressive or active but not quiet and docile either. Now it is certainly possible that all three birds in these first two groupings took turns in my eyes being in one or the other group. After all they all look alike. The only thing I can say is that one chick was almost always more alert and more aggressive when feeding time rolled around than the other two. So it seems odd that I didn't record instances when all three were equally aggressive, or all three equally unaggressive at feeding time, or two aggressive and one more docile. So that's why I lean on the idea that one particular one was always more active and aggressive than the other two.

The third group belonged to the chick at its feet. With this one there is no doubt. Quite often stationery, and most noticeably, only half the size of it's 3 siblings, something was definitely wrong with this one, but I never clued in on it's stunted size or actions until I carefully looked at the images in my photo editor at home much later, and by then it was too late for me to pay close attention to the doomed chick.

How I didn't notice at least some of this while photographing the nest that day is beyond me. (Shows you how good a nature photographer I am!) It was not until I was editing these shots weeks later that I came to realize what was going on with this 4th and least fortunate chick. Looking at the nest at the time of this shot I simply assumed that the chick at the feet of its more active sibling simply had its eyes closed. But actually if you look closely you can see that the eye is not closed, its missing.

If you look at the previous shot to this one you can see this a little better. And you can even see what looks like some kind of scar in front of the eye. When I eventually carefully reviewed this days shoot I thought it odd that all the shots I took of the chicks head when it faced left, I missed getting his eyes open, while all the ones on his right I didn't. That's when I released the eye must be closed due to illness or injury. Then I examined the shots more closely and determined the eye was missing completely. And of course then I knew this chick was in trouble.

On my next visit to the nest in a few weeks I noticed with out doubt that there was only three chicks in the nest now instead of four, and told that to all the curious onlookers and well wishers. We all wondered what happened to the 4th, if maybe it flew away unexpectedly early - which sounded highly unlikely. But still days away from editing today's shots I couldn't offer a good explanation as to what happened to it.

As I edited these shots and started to see that it was not long for this world, I wished I had noticed this at the time, so I could have recorded it's demise for the record. Turns out today was the day that was it's last day alive in the nest and I even had a time frame for when this event had to take place.

spring Staten Island Clove Lakes Great blue heron birds nature herons NYC sld3