New gallinule babies join the backyard mix

It's always great to see new babies, especially after all the deforestation along the canal bank destroyed much of their nesting spots.  The gallinules have successfully hatched around 6 little ones.  

Yesterday they stayed across the canal.  I saw an adult come to our side, grab some duck pellets and swim back across the canal with them.  They only do that when they have babies to feed.  I waited and sure enough, there they were.  They must have had a nest in the newly grown underbrush,  

Showing their cute bald heads and little winglets

Mom and dad trying to wrangle the crew

Mom and dad finally got them organized

Today the little family ventured to our side of the canal and came into my neighbor's backyard.

It still takes two to keep them together

A little cutie barely reaches above the blades of grass.

Speaking of babies, the Egyptian geese had their nine babies across the canal and also here on our side to eat.  They spent a lot of time here after eating.  The kids are growing up so fast and are not afraid of me anymore!

Chilling in the backyard with mom.

So big he fills the water tray now!

 

There was one other particular visitor of note.  It was a pretty pigeon whose brown and white coloration was kind of unusual for the backyard.  There is no amount of deforestation that seems to deter pigeons where food is involved!

Pretty pigeon makes a backyard visit.

Finally, a monarch butterfly visited the milkweed plant outside.  It stopped at a lot of flowers for nectar.  I didn't see any eggs so it might have been a male or a female not in a family way.  There are still two eggs on the milkweed that is safely inside the enclosure,  I saw three before so it might still be there; they are really hard to see.  The eggs should hatch in another three days or so.  That process usually takes a week and then the caterpillars start their voracious eating.