Syracuse.com - It's prime time at the great blue heron rookery at Sterling Nature Center

[HuntingNY-News]

The majestic adult birds stand 4 feet, with wing spans approaching 6 feet. (See photo slideshow and video). Watch video

Here's a great tip for getting the most while viewing the 35-nest, great blue heron rookery at the Sterling Nature Center.

"Sitting still and watching for a while is the best approach," advised Jim D'Angelo, director of the nature center, which is owned and run by Cayuga County Parks and Trails in the town of Sterling. The rookery is located on 60 acres of flooded wetland and there's a small viewing area with benches.

"Try not to move or talk loud. You'll notice more about the herons and before long, you'll start to notice other wildlife moving around in front of you," D'Angelo said.

 

Other denizens of the flooded area include a wide variety of birds, beavers, muskrats, river otters, minks, several species of turtles and snakes and numerous butterflies and dragon flies. There's also the bullfrogs. One will start calling, and then the whole group will join in.

The stars of the show, though, are the great blue herons. The majestic birds stand 4 feet, with wing spans approaching 6 feet.

"The first ones come back from down south around mid-March, while others come back in April or early May," D'Angelo said. "Their eggs are in the nest around 30 days, and the hatched young remain another 50 to 60 days before heading off on their own."

The herons are currently in various stages of the breeding process. Some are sitting on eggs. In several instances, adult birds can be seen constantly bringing back fish, snakes, small mammals and other food for their one to three youngsters, which measure 2 to 3 feet high.

The scene is prehistoric-looking and sounding. The herons can be heard constantly "cluck-clucking" from their stick nests, many which measure 3-to 4-feet across. The nests sit some 40 feet high. Some are within 50-60 yards of the viewing area; others are 100 to 150 yards away. For the best viewing experience, bring a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope.

D'Angelo said 25 nests survived the winter. The early arrivals generally just did a little bit of refurbishment and moved in. An additional 10 new nests have since been constructed.

The flooded wetlands area where the rookery sits was formed back in the early 1990s, thanks to a beaver dam that flooded the small stream that flows through the forested swamp. As the water level rose, trees died, providing the perfect setting for the heron nests.

Right now the scene is bustling, but don't wait too long to visit.

"Usually, by the end of July all of them should have left and the rookery will be quiet," D'Angelo said.

More on Sterling Nature Center: In addition to the blue heron rookery, the 1,400-acre nature center offers an interpretative center and numerous programs, along with a wide diversity of habitat with 10 miles of hiking trails and 1.9 miles of undeveloped Lake Ontario shoreline. Admission is free. A free lecture on the great blue heron rookery is set for 1 p.m. June 15. For more, call 947-6143 or see cayuganet.org/sterlingpark

The Figura Challenge: The Sterling Nature Center is one of the 15 prime Central New York outdoors locations I recommended that readers visit this summer. Read more on this.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog