Great Blue Heron Rookery

During our time on Lake Ontario, we visited the Sterling Nature Center. Somehow we'd not tried it before, but we went to explore and found a few great short hikes. We followed one to a nesting site for great blue herons. I never got around to posting the nests we were watching last spring at the Lab of Ornithology, but it was pretty amazing to see the parents fly in and out of the nest to feed the baby herons. The last time we stopped in at the Lab of O, they were just getting ready to fledge. This site not far from the shores of Lake Ontario, is the nesting site of up to 60 great blue herons- a rookery!

We had to walk extra quietly through the woods to come to Beaver Pond to see all these nests. It was a really amazing thing to see. The kids were extra quiet and it was just starting to rain when we arrived. But nothing stirred while we were there.

See the special nest? Check out the card below to find out what it could be.

This kids thought these were pretty fantastic.

Can you see that I found the nest in question too? Can you point it out in one of these other pictures?

Everything was so still that day. But I could just imagine what it was like the spring when all those herons were preparing to fly! There are also osprey nests. So, although it was extremely still that day it was likely full of bustling activity back in the spring.

We plan to return to the nature center to see the other trails. I have one more set of pictures that I'll post when the artwork is finished. Stay tuned!