Photo by judy h
If you spend any time in Golden Gate Park, you have probably laid eyes on some handsome birds, including the impressive Great Blue Heron. They’re seen throughout the park, sometimes hunting rodents on the lawns.
Recently, it’s been the nesting season – when the herons court, build their nests, mate and lay eggs between January and March.
By April, at least one or more nests have chicks in them, and Stow Lake is a prime place for viewing them. Many of the herons have their nests high up in the trees around the lake.
Back in 1993, Nancy DeStefanis, director of San Francisco Nature Education, discovered the first pair of nesting Great Blue Herons. This turned out to be the first recorded sighting of nesting Great Blue Herons in the city.
Every Saturday, SFNE offers public walking tours of the Great Blue Heron nests at Stow Lake. On the tours, you’ll see and learn more about the four foot tall birds as they fly in and out of the nests, brooding the chicks, feeding the chicks, etc.
Naturalists and interns from SFNE are stationed at the observation site with spotting scopes, ready to offer spectacular views into the Great Blue Heron nests and answer questions.
The walks are offered every Saturday beginning April 13 through May 18. They run from 10:30am until 12noon, and meet at the observation area near the Stow Lake Boathouse. The cost to attend the walk is $10 for adults, young adults and children are free.
Even if you can’t stay for the tour, the observation area is always staffed with volunteers from 10am until 1pm, so stop by to gaze on these handsome creatures and their new offspring.
Sarah B.
When I first noticed the flyer at the cafe out of the corner of my eye, I thought it read “The Nesting Horrors of Stow Lake”, which lent a rather Lovecraftian cast to my morning.
That’s pricey. Living in the city, a ticket to the entire Conservatory of Flowers is $7.
Wait, that’s the outsider’s fee. Excuse me. It costs $5 for a resident at the Conservatory of Flowers. It’s even less for children and seniors.