Great Blue Heron – Alameda Point Environmental Report

Great Blue Herons fishing at Alameda Point: Photo essay

Alameda Point supports a thriving colony of Great Blue Herons. Their roosting and nesting site is on the Runway Wetland on federal property adjacent to the city’s future De-Pave Park.

Much of the herons’ days are spent standing still in the wetland and preening their feathers. During spring and early summer they can be seen nesting in two dead cypress trees in the wetland. When they leave the wetland in search of food, they do so individually and can often be seen standing motionless along the Alameda Point shoreline waiting to pluck a passing fish from the water.

Here are three fishing episodes from 2022.

New generation of Great Blue Herons born in cypress rookery

The cypress trees in the wetland near the proposed DePave Park at Alameda Point have served as a safe and secure nesting site for Great Blue Herons for many years. This year is no exception, despite the trees having died and barely standing. On May 7, Audubon Society bird observer Dawn Lemoine counted 13 juveniles in the nests.

The wetland around the cypress trees provides the ideal landing spot for the young herons’ first flight and subsequent adaptation to life outside the nest. They can be seen for the first week or so after leaving the nest hanging out in the wetland preening and sunning themselves. Continue reading “New generation of Great Blue Herons born in cypress rookery”