| 
| | | 
The Birds: The Heronry of the Martin Griffin Preserve
The Martin Griffin Preserve is home to one of the most significant and well-studied Great Blue Heron, Great Egret and Snowy Egret nesting sites on the West Coast. As they have for generations, the birds return annually in early spring to resume their mating rituals, nest building and egg laying. In the summer, new chicks can be observed raucously begging for food and testing out their wing feathers during first flights. By mid summer - usually some time in August - all chicks will have fledged the heronry.
This page is updated regularly with data on nesting activities. These are preliminary numbers based on the most recent observations of the colony.
As of 8/4/11
As of August 4, all nesting Great Egrets have fledged.
|
|
GBHE |
GREG |
SNEG |
|
Total Nests |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Pair Bonding |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stage 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stage 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stage 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stage 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Eggs |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chicks |
0 |
0 |
0 |
GBHE = Great Blue Heron
GREG = Great Egret
SNEG = Snowy Egret
|
Stage |
Description |
Timing |
|
1 |
Egg laying, incubation, adult lying down for long periods, egg turning, nest relief of one parent by another |
Lasts approximately 28 days. |
|
2 |
Hatching (small downy chicks), feeding low in the nest, need to watch careful when the adults move |
Approximately one week (or slightly less) |
|
3 |
Chicks are usually standing, most/all of the down is replaced by juvenile plumage, parents continue to stay at nest |
7 days – 3.5-4 weeks |
|
4 |
Adults are not continuously at nest (May remain after feeding), chicks usually on nest platform, |
3.5 weeks – 4 weeks, up to 8-12 weeks |
|
5 |
Young often off nests |
8-12 weeks |
