The Herons are Gathering

Adjacent to the 4 Mile Creek Greenway (Milepost 1) is a rookery of Great Blue Herons. Last year there were 18 nesting pairs and I really enjoyed observing the raising of the family and photographing the rookery. I drove by this morning to see if there was anything there and, lo and behold about 10 of the nests are already occupied. And the best news of all, if you go into the White Oak neighborhood off Elm Street, the homeowners association have built a viewing platform out over the marsh and beyond the tree line so there will be some great views even when the trees began to leaf out. I ran home, retrieved my camera, and took a few shots this afternoon. Hope you enjoy them!

Great Blue Heron Rookery

Discovered a Heron Rookery about half a mile from my home and have been fascinated by the nesting activity of the birds. I had extensive shoulder surgery late January and have been unable to lift my hand to my camera shutter button comfortably. In spite of that I have been able to get some neat images by pacing myself and resting often. These birds are fascinating to watch. The male goes through an extensive courting ritual including a magnificent display of colorful feathers and beak until he has chosen (or been chosen) by a female. They then go through a nest building phase pausing occasionally to mate!!! The male goes out and finds a stick and brings it back to the female who painstakingly places and anchors it into the fabric of the nest. When the nest is sufficient, the female sits and lays her eggs while the male takes care of finding food for her. The gestation periof for the eggs is 28 days so I am looking forward to seeing the babies in the nest around the middle of April. Will keep you posted!!