Saturday morning at about 10:30 am, four of us walked the Springbrook Trail
in Renton. It was a beautiful morning! On Wednesday morning, I had observed
the great blue herons congregating along the shoreline and in trees near the
rookery, as Carl Haynie reported here.

On Saturday morning, we observed about half the herons, one by one, flying up
to the rookery and sitting on or near the nests. It was quite spectacular.
By about 11:00 am about 15 herons were on or near the nests, and the
remaining 15 or so were in nearby trees further down the trail. When we
drove off about a half-hour later, none of the herons were in the nests....

Saturday afternoon, I went to the Locks to see how things were progressing at
the Kiwanis Ravine rookery. In recent weeks herons have been congregating a
bit in evergreen trees on the south side of the locks - 4 or 5 herons in a
tree, for example. But on Saturday I only saw one lone heron in a tree, and
no activity in the rookery.

Anyone have other observations on current great blue heron activity? Any
observations about the rookery in the East Duwamish Greenbelt across from
Kellogg Island, or the rookery in Bothell/Kenmore?

Didi Anstett
mailto: didianstet at aol.com