Heronry in the Petawawa Research Forest
2018 June 21 / July 05
There are at least two (and probably more) heronries in the Petawawa Research Forest. One of them is quite visible from a road -- a drive-in heronry, if you will. Since late June, I have been driving by regularly to take photos. There are two visible nests, each with three or four chicks. The chicks are getting pretty big and will probably leave the nests very soon. Unfortunately, I am unable to check any more, as the area has been closed due to the high fire danger.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-21 - explore)
Nesting great blue heron in the Petawawa Research Forest -- June 21.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-23 - explore)
Heronry in the Petawawa Research Forest, showing the two nests -- June 23.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-23 - explore)
Left-hand nest on June 23.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-23 - explore)
Right-hand nest on June 23. You can just see a small head beginning to appear above the edge of the nest.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-26 - explore)
Left-hand nest on June 26.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-27 - explore)
Left-hand nest on June 27.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-27 - explore)
Right-hand nest on June 27.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-28 - explore)
Left-hand nest on June 28. Four birds; the rightmost one might be the adult, not sure.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-28 - explore)
Right-hand nest on June 28 (morning).
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-28 - explore)
Left-hand nest on June 28 (afternoon).
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-30 - explore)
Left-hand nest on June 30.
(photo by Bob: 2018-06-30 - explore)
Right-hand nest on June 30. Testing those wings.
(photo by Bob: 2018-07-01 - explore)
Left-hand nest on July 01.
(photo by Bob: 2018-07-01 - explore)
Right-hand nest on July 01.
(photo by Bob: 2018-07-03 - explore)
Left-hand nest on July 03.
(photo by Bob: 2018-07-03 - explore)
Right-hand nest on July 03. It was brutally hot and these guys were out in the full sun.
(photo by Bob: 2018-07-05 - explore)
Left-hand nest on July 05.
(photo by Bob: 2018-07-05 - explore)
Right-hand nest on July 05. Continuing very hot.
(Nerdy note: While I am pleased to have been able to get photos of the chicks, they are not as sharp as one might like. I have sharpened them -- oversharpened them -- to the extent that noise in the sky is starting to appear. The close-ups were shot with a 150mm lens on a micro 4/3 system, so an effective focal length of 300mm. But after considering the final crop, the true effective focal length is between 1100 and 1200mm. They were shot hand held while I was being attacked by deer flies.)