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To learn more about the herony and how SPES manages the colony be sure to check the Great Blue Herons page by clicking here.
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Consider making a one-time donation or becoming a monthly donor to show your support! If you are interested in adopting a heron nest with a one-time $54 donation, click here.
June 29, 2022 – Heron Update! Despite reports of eagle activity near the heron colony in the past few weeks, the colony is still going strong this breeding season. We observed 10 adults, 8 eggs, and 56 chicks in the nests last week. The chicks are approximately 7 weeks old and the adults are spending less time in the nests and more time searching for food to feed these fast-growing babies! They are becoming more vocal and you can hear them if you spend time near the colony. Some chicks were already observed flapping their wings and venturing to the edge of the nest, we expect to see more of this behavior in the coming weeks. Thank you for following along with us this heron season!
June 12, 2022 – Heron Update! Despite reports of eagle activity near the colony, the number of chicks have nearly doubled since the last update! On our most recent survey, we counted 36 adults, 10 eggs, and 68 chicks. The majority of the chicks spotted are about 4 weeks old which you can tell by their brown-ish feathers. To our surprise, a new nest, now called ‘EM16’, was found during the survey and had 4 eggs and a brand new chick that appeared to be only about a day old. We anticipate a lot of tired parents in the coming weeks as the chicks continue to grow and get louder and demand more food from their parents!
May 20, 2022 – Heron Update! On our last rooftop survey we were incredibly excited to see an increase in the number of chicks. We counted 37 adult herons, 32 visible eggs, and 33 chicks in the nests. At this point we estimate that the chicks are approximately 1-2 weeks old. If you walk quietly underneath the colony you can hear the soft chirping of the chicks and we expect them to get a lot louder as the season progresses! Check out the Heron Cam hosted by the City of Vancouver to see if you are able to spot one of these small bundles of joy.
May 13, 2022 – Fun Fact! Did you know the heron colony in Stanley Park has a long history and wasn’t always located in its current spot?Herons were first documented in Stanley Park in 1921, near Brockton Point. Since then, they have had other colony locations near Beaver Lake and the Aquarium. The map below depicts their current colony location in red and their previous locations in blue. We don’t know how long they will stay in near Second Beach but we will be monitoring their breeding success for many years to come! Consider symbolically adopting a heron nest to support the monitoring and conservation of these heron families and their habitat by clicking here. You (or a giftee) will receive a certificate package and exclusive updates on the breeding season for $54 a year.
May 6, 2022 – BREAKING NEWS! The first heron chicks of the season were spotted today during our rooftop survey! SPES Staff and volunteers counted 13 chicks in the nests this morning and they appeared to be only a couple of days old. The chicks are hard to see at this stage as their parents continue incubation so look for standing herons to get the best view! To spot a chick and follow along this breeding season, please check out the Stanley Park Heron Cam by clicking here.