In the first post for this series 11 days ago, I posted pictures of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron tending to her five eggs. Yesterday, I went back there and saw that the eggs have become young chicks covered with down, barely able to stand up. There were about twenty photographers gathered on the sidewalk above the nest, all vying to take pictures of the herons.
As I got there, the male heron had just landed with a twig in his beak. The female will take it and add it to the nest.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron arriving with twig.
Female taking twig from male.
Female adding twig to nest.
There were five eggs, but I only see three chicks. I wonder what happened.
Female and chicks.
Mother heron proceeded to feed the chicks.
Female feeding chicks.
Afterwards, she spread out her wings to shield her children from the hot sun. She kept her eyes closed, perhaps taking a well-deserved nap.
Female shielding chicks from sun.
Following are pictures of the Ocean City Welcome Center and the bird paparazzi.
Ocean City Welcome Center.
Bird paparazzi.
neihtn 
Another fascinating storytelling photos,you have captured scenes of incredible affection,Hien!
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Thank you Doda! These birds are just like us humans.
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🙂
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Adorable little ones! Such care the parents give is amazing. You know what they call the female parent shielding the young from the sun – she’s a Mombrella! 🙂
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Mombrella! Excellent term. Thank you Donna!
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while it’s nice to get the shots that you did, I doubt if I could handle being part of the “Bird Paparazzi”. We have the same thing here with snowy owls in the winter, or rare birds any time of the year, and I avoid it whenever I can.
However, I loved how you were able to show us the life of the herons both the adults and chicks through your wonderful images.
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Thank you Jerry. It wasn’t easy to find a good place to take pictures with the elbow to elbow people standing there. I had to stand further away, and could not use my tripod at all. This was a week day, and maybe it’s worse on weekends.
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The chicks look so vulnerable. Mama and Papa Bird are amazing in taking care of their young ones. “Bird Paparazzi” — I thought only Japan had this phenomenon 🙂 Joking aside, I do have mixed feelings when large groups of photographers stay at the same place for a long time…I fear it may add additional stress to them. I admit, it’s a fine balance (especially when we all want the perfect shot), and it’s something I question myself each time.
As always thank you so much for sharing!!
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The chicks are indeed very vulnerable in the first weeks after they hatched. Maybe that’s why there are only three surviving chicks out of five eggs.
About bird paparazzi: they came very well prepared with their long lenses, and some brought stools to stand on. After a 2+ hour drive, I got there at what I thought was an early hour, but the crowd was already formed and I had to stand on their periphery to take my shots. As for stress, the causeway was right next to the Welcome Center and thousands of cars whizzed by. Somehow the birds got used to the noise and keep coming back year after year to the rookery. I hope the increasing crowd of photographers will not make them change their mind.
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Great photos of the herons, Hien. As the eggs are laid one a day, perhaps the last two have yet to hatch? I imagine not all make it, though. The nest would be tight for five babies and an adult.
Love the paparazzi shot – those ‘crazy humans’ from the bird’s view!
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Thanks Eliza! You are right of course about that herculean task of feeding five babies in one nest.
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She shielded her babies with her wing….that is the most wonderful thing!
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Indeed Lois! And she was doing it as she slept while standing.
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wow. thank you
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Thanks!
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Cuteness to the max! 😊
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Thank you Irene! Babies are always cute!
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True, but capturing their cuteness is not always easy. 😉
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Well done. anh Hien
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Thank you Anh Nhi!
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Bird paparazzi, ha. Great photos, Hien. I have a feeling that you know them very ell 😉
Have a great day.
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Thank you Helen!
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