Growing Gallinules

Common Gallinules (the birds formerly known as Common Moorhens) are year-round residents at Gemini Springs. The local population peaks during the winter with migrants who breed further north in the summer; my winter counts get into double-digits through January.

During the summer I see far fewer gallinules at the park. Maybe the bayou isn’t big enough to support harmony among more gallinules in the summer months? Anyway, this year I had fun watching a little family of Common Gallinules grow up. Note the dates on the following photos; many were taken just a few days apart.

Parent feeds two young Common Gallinules | 16-APR-13

Begging baby Common Gallinule | 17-APR-13

Baby Common Gallinules | 20-APR-13

Assuming these are the same babes — what a different a week makes! | 26-APR-13

Juvenile Common Gallinule | 29-APR-13

Juvenile Common Gallinules | 04-MAY-13

Juvenile Common Gallinules | 07-MAY-13

Juvenile Common Gallinule | 10-MAY-13

I missed them for much of the rest of May. On June 4th I saw a pair of young gallinules. Are they the same babies I had been following? Or are these daredevils from a new nest? Either way, they almost gave me a heart attack. I do not often see American Alligators at Gemini Springs, but that morning there were two hanging around the fishing pier. The young Common Gallinules seemed to be playing chicken…

Juvenile Common Gallinules with “friend” | 04-JUN-13

Young Common Gallinule living dangerously | 04-JUN-13

Young Common Gallinule | 04-JUN-13

Young Common Gallinule | 16-JUN-13

June 16th was the last day I saw the young birds, but adults were still around.

This morning Arthur and I visited the park. We sat on the fishing pier, hoping for a kingfisher while watching Boat-tailed Grackles and woodpeckers flying about. After some time Arthur spotted a Common Gallinule. Then another. Then came another, and another, and another, and another. Brood #2? Brood #3? Good luck, little family! I’ll be seeing you…

Here we go again! | 18-AUG-13

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