SALISH SEA
A Handbook For Educators
Sample Activities
A Heron's Year
January: The adult herons are continually feeding
to ensure that they are in prime condition before they start breeding.
February: The herons return to the colony and can
be seen perching near their nests.
March: Nests are repaired or built. Listen for the
herons' cooing calls and the snapping of their bills. These are the
noises of their courtship.
April: The light blue coloured eggs are laid. Clutch
sizes vary from one to five eggs but most nests contain four eggs.
© Parks Canada May:
The young hatch with voracious appetites and grow rapidly.
© Parks Canada June:
The young are now as large as the adults.
© Parks Canada July:
Most of the young birds have now fledged (flown from the nest).
© Parks Canada
August: This is a period of high mortality for the
young herons which still have poorly developed hunting skills.
September: Both young and adult birds can be seen
fishing at favoured foraging sites along the beaches of the Salish Sea.
© Parks Canada October:
Eagles prey on both adult and young herons throughout the year, but
human disturbance at nesting time, destruction of habitat and pollution
all stress their numbers further.
November: Herons hunt a variety of prey other than
fish and they can often be seen in fields hunting mice when winter conditions
make fishing difficult on the coast. When available, they also will
eat frogs, newts and snakes.
December: The adult birds molt their feathers in preparation
for the next breeding season. Young birds moult into their adult plumage
although it takes another year before breeding
The coastal subspecies of the Great Blue Heron is designated "vulnerable"
by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
(Seal's
Lullaby is song #8 on the Salish Sea CD - See page 18
for Music activities) |
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