San Francisco bird watchers have a treat in store
Bird lovers in San Francisco are enjoying a seasonal treat: during April, blue herons and their chicks are visiting Golden Gate Park. Volunteers are on hand to help visitors spot the birds.
The birds can be found at Stow Lake, where 179 herons have been spotted over time. They court, then build their nests, mate, and then the females lay eggs during the period January through March. There are chicks in some of the nests by April; this year, six nests have chicks.
Since 1993, Nancy DeStefanis has been known as the ‘Heron Lady’. She keeps tabs on the birds, and this year notes there are 12 adults coming to and from the nests and sitting on the eggs. Starting on April 15 and continuing for the next six Saturdays, DeStefanis and a group of volunteers are using spotting scopes to help visitors watch the birds. They will be able to point out the chicks and adults, and explain some of their behaviors.
DeStefanis says that people gave her the nickname of ‘Heron Lady’ when she first started keeping track of the birds, and adds that lovers of wildlife are lucky the herons come back every year to enchant visitors to Golden Gate Park.
Efforts like this could benefit if organizers worked with brochure printers to create booklets that explain the birds' behavior.
The birds can be found at Stow Lake, where 179 herons have been spotted over time. They court, then build their nests, mate, and then the females lay eggs during the period January through March. There are chicks in some of the nests by April; this year, six nests have chicks.
Since 1993, Nancy DeStefanis has been known as the ‘Heron Lady’. She keeps tabs on the birds, and this year notes there are 12 adults coming to and from the nests and sitting on the eggs. Starting on April 15 and continuing for the next six Saturdays, DeStefanis and a group of volunteers are using spotting scopes to help visitors watch the birds. They will be able to point out the chicks and adults, and explain some of their behaviors.
DeStefanis says that people gave her the nickname of ‘Heron Lady’ when she first started keeping track of the birds, and adds that lovers of wildlife are lucky the herons come back every year to enchant visitors to Golden Gate Park.
Efforts like this could benefit if organizers worked with brochure printers to create booklets that explain the birds' behavior.