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Psilos Bird Photography |
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)- page 3 |
The chicks in the photos above were born in a nest built inside an old tree stump. On my second visit to them later in the day I noticed that the third egg had started to hatch. Sadly I did not get to see the chick emerge as it can take the young bird several hours to break free. |
Once the young leave the nest they grow quickly as they can start foraging and learning to feed for themselves. For the next two weeks they will continue to be fed by their parents and will not roam far from their side. |
The chicks as they grow become very vocal and call almost constantly up to 4 weeks old. They stray further away from their parents as they grow but they still return to their nest from time to time. |
By the time the juveniles are 6 weeks old they can fend totally for themselves whilst their parents get on with building another nest and raising a second brood. Martinmere offers a unique experience in studying these beautiful but usually shy birds. I hope that you have enjoyed reading their story. |
