NVCT recently spent a day alongside staff from DCR and Stafford County at our Crow's Nest Heronry site where we counted and logged all of the Heron Nests across the preserve.
Storms and other natural events can affect the number of nests we see annually but the herons are adept at rebuilding them. After a few years of decline, we saw a modest increase in nests for the coming year. This included an increase in both individual nests and the number of trees with nests. The tree with the most nests was a Sycamore that housed 21 unique heron nests. The great blue herons should be returning to this nesting ground in the next few weeks to continue their annual cycle.
Check out the gallery below, featuring photos by Andrea Vale, for a look at all the action!