Comments on: Heron Rookery

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 07:39:41 +0000

Cindy, I’m not familiar with the rookery in Bell Acres but I do know of one on an island in the Allegheny River near Lock & Dam #3. You can drive to within a mile of it but must walk the last mile on Barking Road (off Coxscomb Hill Rd). Barking Road is the road to the dam. Perhaps the heron rookery is visible from Freeport Road on the Cheswick side of the river. I can’t say as I’ve never looked from that side.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:44:22 +0000

Hi,
My family and I have driven up toward Franklin a few times in March in years gone past to see the Great Blue Heron rookery there. Today’s Post Gazette showed pictures of herons at Bell Acres on Big Sewickley Creek. This reminded me that I had heard there was a visible rookery much closer to Pittsburgh than Franklin. I’m wondering if you can give me directions or at least guidance so we can check on these magnificent birds and their nests.
Thank you,
Cindy

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 15:08:18 +0000

I know the location of a rookery that has close to 20 Great Blue Heron nesting in it. It is hard to see the babies in the nests and hard to judge their ages, but if i had to guess they may be anywhere from 1-2 months old. I watched them for hours last evening with my brother and our friend from 2pm to midnight. I was absolutely amazed and stunned by how vocal they are. At times they sound like Tasmanian Devils fighting to the death. They scream, bark, hiss, quack, and make other horrific noises. I can’t describe the feelings that rush through your body when you hear them screaming and barking at each other at night time. I would love to record them for an hour and use it for a haunted house soundtrack. They are Heron during the day but at night they turn into Pterodactyls hah! I need to acquire some high quality filming equipment soon so i can record them. I’d love to make a documentary about them and the surrounding area.

By: Becky Grimes

Becky Grimes — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:05:24 +0000

Here in the Sheridan, WY area we saw an eagle that had set up housekeeping in the middle of a rookery. The GBH didn’t seem to mind and were certainly not going to say NIMBY to the eagle.

By: Cory DeStein

Cory DeStein — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:39:16 +0000

Cool! I did some research on my own, and found one rookery, that was a good bit larger, but it also had a red tail nest, but in a far end of the rookery, a great horned owl nest.
Herons nested right next to and around the hawk, but all nearby nests to the owl were abandoned! I dont blame the herons. Also reports of a bald eagle nest in a heron rookery, although in that scenario i dont know if the herons returned, or left for another site? Eagles would be much more of a threat.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:54:19 +0000

Cory, your story of finding a red-tailed hawk nest in a heron rookery partly inspired me to write about them.

By: mary

mary — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:46:39 +0000

Those of us in northern California are treated to eucalyptus trees, too tall and too dense to reveal the GBH nests. But they are there. It is quite a sight to see a heron slowly glide in, circling the nest, and then disappearing among the upper branches and leaves of the trees. First time I saw it, I couldn’t quite believe it.
First time I saw a GBH stalking small rodents in the parking lot next to the ocean beach I also thought I was mistaken. But no, every Spring they return to open fields, sometimes standing for hours, patiently waiting for amphibians and rodents to make a move. Their best hunting hours appear to be between morning and early afternoon. They then return to the nests later in the afternoon. What a delightful experience to behold!

By: Cory DeStein

Cory DeStein — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:42:23 +0000

And not always will it be just herons in the rookery as I learned!!!