Great Blue Herons, live, up close and personal
One of the gang at Sapsucker Woods. A still image from the webcam last spring.
Newsflash for bird lovers: the Great Blue Herons are back on the nest at the Cornell webcam site.
You can see the lovely big birds, hear the sounds of early spring at the Ornithology Lab (including the occasional heron honk and squawk) and follow the live conversation among the pro-am group of birders who camp out online to follow the action moment by moment.
I found having the site up at work, just to hear the sounds as the pond there returned to life, was a terrific stress-reliever. Last year, over the weeks, we saw the herons tidying and decorating the nest,then tending the eggs as they appeared day by day. There was a dramatic nighttime owl attack, great sibling interaction once the eggs had hatched, and of course, the young herons fledging.
Herons are back in my bit of the North Country, too. And there’s a rookery just a nice walk from my house. But the up close view from the webcam is just irresistible. Check it out.
In other signs of spring news: osprey are back, too, in lots of locales. Sunday at Lake Ozonia they got a chilly reception, literally. Lots and lots of ice left there, with only a very little open water. I’m sure the lake, and others in the Adirondacks, are opening up as I write. But in the meantime, what do they osprey do for a living?
What are you seeing in your neighborhood?
Tags: birding, environment, nature, outdoor recreation, weather
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I got home from the sugarhouse late this evening. It’s much too dark to see anything, but I just had to look. The soundscape from that pond is a wonderful addition to my evening,,,even without the herons.
We often catch one heron flying to and from the river here in Dekalb.
The peepers are singing, and I’ve seen one Swallowtail and one Admiral butterfly.
Great signs!
Bluebird houses to go up this weekend. We’ve had several pairs each of the last few years.
I showed this to my four year old grandson. There was no one in the nest, just the frogs and geese, and he was transfixed for a bit. Later he was putting on his boots to go home, and the first heron arrived….accompanied by the sound of a nearby jet. “Why did it make that sound, Pop?” I told him he could watch tomorrow morning while eating his breakfast, and it’s guaranteed he’ll remember.
This is how we create new public radio listeners.