We got a new neighbor a little bit ago. Well, actually, our new neighbors are a migrant family returning to the birthplace. I was a bit shocked last year when I first saw a baby wandering around the 'hood. I took the following two shots last year about this same time.

That second shot was in our alley right next to our driveway.

I was flummoxed. It had to be some kind of heron. I had no idea until this year where the nest was, so I didn't know what the adults looked like. Doing some taxonomic research online, I narrowed it down and found what I thought was a good match in this image seen here.

So, this year I was able to see the parent and it confirmed my guess: A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax violaceus.

The new neighbors actually number six! There are four gangly nearly fledged chicks in that scraggly nest. The parents take turns flying off to get food for the babes. Which brings up the question on why is our neighborhood their chosen home. The nearest body of water is a sometimes dry Joe's Creek about a half mile away. It has some tiny minnows in it, but I can't image it being enough for the brood. Bipedal neighbors have seen the parents fly off in a southwesterly direction which would take them to Bachman Lake, about three miles distant. They must have felt that ours was a safe neighborhood.

Look carefully at the next shot and you can see four baby bills.

A larger version of this shot can be found here.

Here's lookin' at you, babe!

A larger image of the baby at the top of the post can be found here.

all images copyright © 2008, 2009 by barry b. doyle • all rights reserved