Tucked behind the C.K. Choi building, in a tall grove of fir trees, is a little-known Great Blue Heron nesting site. The heronry is one of those UBC secrets that you won’t find out about unless you happen upon it at just the right time. Unlike the Stanley Park heronry, there’s almost no information available online and not even a sign at the site.
But, between now and July, take a walk to the Nitobe Gardens and duck down the trail between C.K. Choi and the Asian Studies building and you’ll begin to see the signs of the nesting herons otherwise found fishing along the Vancouver waterfront.
The Point Grey nesting ground is a unique opportunity for those of us on campus during the summer to visit a heronry that’s within five minutes’ walk of our workplace.
When to go and what you’ll see
Right now you can spot the nests perched high up in the trees. Soon, the ground will begin to accumulate a few white splatter marks – but don’t let that deter you – and the tops of the trees will be populated with the swoops, wing beats and croaks of the nesting herons.
Late May and throughout June is the highest level of activity in the heronry and probably the best time to visit. The young start to leave their nests to walk clumsily through the branches and take their first short flights between trees. The otherwise quiet birds now reveal an unexpected vocal range and the typically silent forest erupts with a strange variety of calls.
By July, the herons will be leaving their nests to return to their normal feeding grounds. It’s around this time that you might see large groups of herons circling high above the nesting ground before their departure.
For a taste of what you’ll see at the UBC heronry, check out this beautifully shot video about the Stanley Park nesting ground.