During my last visit to Lake Morton in mid-April, I came across a Limpkin nest. Although I’ve photographed tiny Limpkin babies before, this was the first time I’d encountered a family at the nest. It was nestled in the reeds, without clear line of sight for photography, but I sat and watched it for well over half an hour.

There were six babies at this nest. It was late morning and the babies weren’t particularly active. They napped in the branches next to an apple snail shell from breakfast.

Occasionally the babies would get up, walk around, and then plop back down. Limpkin babies remind me a lot of Sandhill Crane colts (except Limpkins are brown, of course). Especially when the babies stretch their wings…

I finally tore myself away, wishing I could return in a day or two when the parents would take the babies for a walk in the nearby grass. It’ll be fun to watch them grow up this summer!