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Hillsborough Crocker Lake Great Blue Herons 2006

We are very fortunate to have these two pair of Great Blue Herons nesting at Hillsborough's Crocker Lake. These pictures were taken during their nesting season of 2006 by Catherine Dobbins. They sat on their nests from January until April 15 when the eggs hatched and each pair raised three chicks who finally left the nests in June 2006. The parents currently revisit the nests and lake area periodically and typically will begin refurbishing their nests in November-December as another breeding season approaches. Click on pictures to enlarge or click in upper right hand corner to view series as a slideshow. Stay tuned for the 2007 nesting season!
Great Blue Heron Parents
Great Blue Heron Parents		 Crocker Lake
Crocker Lake		 Nest
Nest		 Heron Tree
Heron Tree
Male Heron
Male Heron		 Getting twig
Getting twig		 Getting twig
Getting twig		 Nest 2. Light rain
Nest 2. Light rain
Nest 2 Light rain
Nest 2 Light rain		 Nest 2 Light rain.
Nest 2 Light rain.		 Nest 2 Light rain
Nest 2 Light rain		 Sitting on the nest in the wind
Sitting on the nest in the wind
Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig		 Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig		 Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig		 Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig		 Male presenting twig
Male presenting twig		 Male Preening
Male Preening		 Parents with Chicks in Nest 2
Parents with Chicks in Nest 2
Male with 2 chicks in Nest 2
Male with 2 chicks in Nest 2		 Female with chicks in Nest 2
Female with chicks in Nest 2		 Female with chicks in Nest 2
Female with chicks in Nest 2		 Chick looks at parents feet in Nest 2
Chick looks at parents feet in Nest 2
Male with 2 chicks in Nest 2
Male with 2 chicks in Nest 2		 Female with 2 chicks in Nest 1
Female with 2 chicks in Nest 1		 Three Chicks, Nest 2
Three Chicks, Nest 2		 Chick swallows whole fish in Nest 2
Chick swallows whole fish in Nest 2
Fish Lunch (koi, perhaps!) Nest 1
Fish Lunch (koi, perhaps!) Nest 1		 Two of three chicks in Nest 1
Two of three chicks in Nest 1		 Two of three chicks in Nest 2
Two of three chicks in Nest 2		 Parents share parenting. Greeting dance when male returns to stay with chicks
Parents share parenting. Greeting dance when male returns to stay with chicks
Greeting when male returns to nest
Greeting when male returns to nest		 Male reaches around females neck to touch her back
Male reaches around females neck to touch her back		 Female reaches through males neck
Female reaches through males neck		 Female reaches through males neck
Female reaches through males neck
Greeting at nest change
Greeting at nest change		 Male drying off after fishing
Male drying off after fishing		 Keeping chicks warm on a cold, windy day.
Keeping chicks warm on a cold, windy day.		 Parenting trials
Parenting trials
Nest 2 Chicks
Nest 2 Chicks		 Nest 1 Chicks
Nest 1 Chicks		 Nest 1 Chicks
Nest 1 Chicks		 Nest 2 Chicks
Nest 2 Chicks
Nest 2 Chicks
Nest 2 Chicks		 Greeting
Greeting		 Greeting
Greeting		 Beak Wrestle
Beak Wrestle
Three Amigos in Nest 2
Three Amigos in Nest 2		 I Want More Food!
"I Want More Food!"		 Lecturing the Youngest Chick
Lecturing the Youngest Chick		 Caught in the Middle
Caught in the Middle
Teenagers Wanting Food
Teenagers Wanting Food		 Teenagers acting up
Teenagers acting up		 Begging for more food
Begging for more food		 Enough!
Enough!
Naptime
Naptime		 Looking left
Looking left		 Looking up
Looking up		 Looking right
Looking right
Looking down
Looking down		 Nest 1 Chicks
Nest 1 Chicks		 Nest 2 Chicks
Nest 2 Chicks		 Nest 2 Chicks fill the nest when napping
Nest 2 Chicks fill the nest when napping
Nest 2 chicks after a feeding
Nest 2 chicks after a feeding		 Chicks, Nest 2
Chicks, Nest 2		 Feeding frenzy, Nest 2
Feeding frenzy, Nest 2		 A first short flight to the next tree stump for chick
A first short flight to the next tree stump for chick
First Flight--chick landing in the top of a dead pine
First Flight--chick landing in the top of a dead pine		 Nest 1 Chicks
Nest 1 Chicks		 Nest 2 Chicks
Nest 2 Chicks		 Last Chick left in the nest--everyone else has fledged
Last Chick left in the nest--everyone else has fledged
Begging for dinner
Begging for dinner		 Alone--Last chick left in the nest
Alone--Last chick left in the nest		 Parents
Parents

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Guest 01-May-2007 04:14
Fantastic gallery!
click on thumbnails for full image