The heron colony at Commodore Park (3330 W Commodore Way) is seeing higher numbers and earlier activity this year compared to 2025.
Shawn Pitcher, a volunteer with Heron Habitat Helpers, said the colony is “thriving with a lot of growth and change,” with herons expanding into new nesting locations that had not previously been used.
“There seems to be a lot of new nests popping up where we hadn’t seen them before now,” Pitcher said.
So far this year, there are 63 active nests in the colony, compared to 53 at the same time last year.
The colony is also ahead of schedule compared to previous years. Incubation was first noted on March 1, which the volunteer said is the earliest date observed in the past four years they have worked with the group.
The earlier timing has also created more opportunities for people to spot chicks in the nests before leaves begin to obscure the view.
“One great benefit of the colony being ahead of schedule compared to years past is that it’s a great opportunity to see some chicks,” Pitcher said. “Chicks often get active in the nests JUST after the leaves start to really get in the way, but we’ve had some great views of them this year.”
Photos: Shawn Pitcher