Turtle Journal

Great Blue Heron Couple Builds Nest in Marion, MA

Turtle Journal found a great blue heron rookery (heronry) in Marion on the South Coast of Massachusetts just as the birds had arrived and nest building had begun.  This pair of great blues chose a tall dead white pine tree at the edge of a fresh water pond.  The male heron fetched building material (branches, twigs and so on), and then brought them to the female heron who remained on the tree and who emplaced them meticulously, one by one, into the emerging nest.

Great Blue Heron Nest

More great blue herons (Ardea herodias) arrived at the Marion rookery on April 3rd and 4th, and nest building was in full swing.  Turtle Journal watched this couple, female on the nest and male above, completing their nest in a tall, dead white pine tree immediately abutting the fresh water pond.

Male Heron Leaves Nest to Acquire Building Material

The process seemed endlessly and patiently repetitive.  The male heron departs the nest and flies across the pond to a copse of white pines on the western bank.

Male Heron Collects Material from Nearby Tree

He spends a few minutes in a stressed, dying or dead pine as he selects the perfect branch to add to the nest.

 

Male Heron Returns to Nest

The male heron returns to the nest and hovers …

 

Male Heron Carries Building Material to Waiting Female

… as he carefully descends on the branches above the nest.

Female Heron Prepares to Receive Nesting Material from Male

The female heron awaits as the male settles gently onto the tree.

Female Heron Accepts the Nesting Material from the Male

He passes the branches to the female heron who remains in the nest.

Female Heron Arranges Building Material into the Nest

She takes the branch from the male heron and meticulously inserts it into the nest as he watches from above.

Then the Process Begins Again

Once the female heron finishes placing the material into the nest, the male prepares to depart and the nest building process continues branch by branch, twig by twig, needle by needle until the couple are satisfied.  The finishing touch will include a softer lining of moss and grass to cradle the eggs.

 

 Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

The Turtle Journal team discovered a major great blue heron (Ardea herodias) rookery (heronry) this afternoon, April 2nd alongside a fresh water pond in Marion on the South Coast of Massachusetts.  The first specimen we spotted (shown above) stood still and tall in a completed nest atop pine tree abutting the lake.   

Three Nesting Great Blue Herons

The image of a second and then a third heron emerged from the camouflage of nearby trees.  (Click on the above photograph to enlarge.)  Within a few minutes we were able to identify at least six (6) herons roosting on nests within about an acre immediately adjacent to the far side of this small pond.  We could only distinguish nests and birds near the pond; there could have been numerous other nests hidden from view.

Nesting Great Blue Heron

A fourth heron about 50 feet to the  left of the three herons pictured above appeared to be building or strengthening its nest 

Nesting Great Blue Heron

Turtle Journal usually works along side these magnificent birds during the summer as we do our marine turtle research in the salt marshes of Cape Cod and the South Coast.  It’s a rare treat to find a great blue heron rookery so close to home base.  Hopefully, we’ll be able to document hatching and then fledging of the next generation of great blues.

Great Blue Heron Mating Behavior

As we silently watched and snapped pictures of the herons, a large bird flapped its enormous wings and hovered near another.  Quickly this bird took flight with raucous rasping honks in off-beat duet with its amorous companion.  The two glided like pterodacyls to the far shore of the pond where they engaged in mating rituals.

Great Blue Heron Rookery on South Coast

The photograph above shows the rookery across the pond from the pathway.  It’s located in dense swamp land with extremely limited access.  The pond itself lies about a quarter mile from an active cranberry bog operation to the northeast, and a half mile from the Sippican Harbor estuary to the south.  Visit Turtle Journal soon.  We hope to have updates on the progress of these nests through the spring.