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Bob & Diana McElroy / News and Updates / archive / Heronry in the Petawawa Research Forest

Heronry in the Petawawa Research Forest

2018 June 21

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.

Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron
Nesting great blue heron

(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.)

Bypass Road Petawawa Research Forest