Bird watchers of Ballard, this one’s for you: it’s heron nesting season, and the nesting colony at Commodore Park is absolutely buzzing.
Heron Habitat Helpers, in partnership with Seattle Urban Nature Guides and Discovery Park, has been hosting several pop-up events at Commodore Park to help educate the public about the nesting season.
At the pop-ups, there’s a table with information about herons — including a taxidermy heron, eggs, bones, a wing, plus photos. Volunteers also provide a telescope for the public to view the nests and nest-building, with naturalists on hand to answer questions.
Marla Master with Heron Habitat Helpers says they’ve so far counted 40 33Â active nests at Commodore Park, with about four incubating eggs. Incubation is 27 days, which means the first chicks should hatch by the end of April. Master said they’ll have a birthday party at the park around the third week of May when most of the chicks have hatched — with free cake.
To stay updated on upcoming pop-up events, follow Heron Habitat Helpers on Facebook.
Photos of herons and pop-up event by Marla Master, photo of nests by Deborah Andrews Jacobsen