Unexpected Pleasures Of Dragonflying

About a week ago Betsy and I did some dragonflying in our local area here in Arizona.  At one point we ran across a Great Blue Heron rookery with 20 or more young birds in nests at the top of a tree.  Adults were making regular trips to feed their nestlings.  Here are a couple pictures of one such feeding trip:

An adult Great Blue Heron has just returned to the nest.  One of its young is visible below its neck.

It's interesting to see the adult raise its crest as it interacts with its young – the crest isn't normally so prominent.

Next, the young bird tries to induce the adult to regurgitate food.

A young heron (left) trying to induce an adult to regurgitate a meal.

Finally, the adult feeds the young bird.  It sure looks like a rough way to get a meal.

Ramming food down the throat is the heron way of feeding its young.