The Blue Heron

Meeting Date	Thu, Jun 9, 2005 7:00 PM - Thu, Jun 9, 2005 9:00 PM

The guest speaker will be Ken Pals with the nature center presenting a slide show on the Blue Heron. Ken will also be available for questions.

The Pikes Peak Water Garden Society meetings are held every 2nd Thursday from April to September.  Most meetings start at 7:00 PM and wrap up around 9:00 to 9:30 PM.

This year our meetings will once again be held at the Mountain View Church of Christ located at 1080 East La Salle Street.  This is at the west end of Constitution Avenue on the southwest corner.

Enter through the east door on the north side of the church.

To see a map for the meeting location, click on the Link Below

Mountain View Church of Christ

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Meeting Minutes

Pikes Peak Water Garden Society
General Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2005

Meeting called to order at 7:35 PM by Bob Pollock, President, at the Mountain View Church of Christ. xx people were in attendance.

Dick presented the treasurers report, currently the club has $9,147.46 total club funds.

Betty then introduced our speaker for the night Ken Pals from the Fountain Creek Nature Center.

Ken then started his presentation on the Blue Heron. Betty had informed him that this would be a hostile crowd not bird lovers.

Ken wanted to make sure that everyone took advantage of the El Paso parks system.

Heron come back to our area around the middle of May. The males arrive first and stake out nesting sites. The first of June the females arrive. Males will point their bills to the sky and cluck to attract females. Males will select a new partner each year. Most average 2 to 4 eggs that are a little larger than a chicken egg. Both incubate the eggs, the female a little more. Eggs are laid 1 per day and they hatch in the same order. Young eat approximately a dinner plate size pile of fish and frogs each day. They start getting feathers in mid June to July. Most parents feed 1 to 2 miles from the nest but they can go up to 30 miles in search of food. The young first follow their parents for free meals and learn where and how to fish. Adults have black and white on their heads.

In early spring Ken had a man approach him wanting to sue the parks system. He had a Heron visit and make a meal of $450 worth of Koi. Ken tried to use reverse psychology and how wonderful it was to have the Heron in his yard. They then brainstormed ideas to stop them from taking his Koi.

Heron inspire many art forms. 100 years ago it was uncommon to see a Blue Heron. This is the bird that started the Audubon Society to stop women from wearing Heron feathers in their hats.

Heron are part of the Egret family and 3 or 4 types are regular here in Colorado.
- Brown Bitterer
- Green heron will take smaller fish.
- Great Egret are here in the spring and fall and are large white birds.
- Snowy Egret are black with yellow feet
- Cow Egret feed on mice and grasshoppers.
- Black crown night heron migrate through
- Great Blue Heron are more gray with 6 feet wide wing span. They have long legs with some webbing on their feet to support them in the mud. Long necks and sharp dagger like beaks. They can roll their eyes to see forward.

One bird bander got struck in the head and died from the Heron.

We can learn patience to wait for things to come. The Blue Heron can stand for long periods of time to stab fish and frogs that are swallowed in a gulp. They also eat snakes and mice.

There are 71 or 72 Heron rookeries in Colorado. A rookery is a collection of nests and some can have up to 1200 nests. Large nests are located in tops of taller Cottonwood or Willow trees. The better nests locations are closer to the center of the rookery. One existing rookery is on Las Vegas street and went from 45 nests to 75 nests this year. They also exist at Highway 24 and Judge Ore with 24 nests, Chico Basin with 3 to 4 nests and at Monument Lake.

Only Rock Pigeons, Starlings and English Sparrows are the only three unprotected birds in the state. Eagles pray on Heron along with Red Tail Hawks. Small birds that fall from the nest are prey to fox, coyotes and raccoons. Sevier storms can blow nests out of trees. Cold weather can also kill many small birds. There is a $25,000 fine to harm a Blue Heron.

Ken thinks that the Heron that are here winter in Mexico. Some may winter closer where open water can be found. During migration they travel in groups of 20 to 30 birds. They leave the rookery in mid July and move around the area until September.

Decoys don’t work to scare them off
Fish need shelves to hide under
Fake fish that don’t move also don’t work
Electric fence does not work to stop them
Netting covering the pond or fence can stop them from feeding on your fish.
A good dog will chase the heron in the yard if the dog is small it may be looked upon as food.

Question -If a Heron gets caught in the netting?
Answer – Local Rehabilitators, Wild Forever on North Hancock can help

Heron have need known to land in the water but prefer to land and then walk in. They can fly in one step. They will feed 24 hours a day to find food. Heron can swim if required but do not if they don’t have to. They can wade in water up to 2 feet deep.

Ken closed with “Enjoy Heron and their life on stilts”.

The following door prizes were donated by Suzy from the Waters Edge
Pond Strip Barley Bail to Ed Troop Snail water spitter to Les Fry
Copper Bracelet donated by Debbie Rebel to Gregg Cobb
Pond Tabs to Colin Coppin Golden Reed Rush to Bev Fallis
Filterview garden plant to Deb Rebel
Red Stem Taro to Bethany Richards, W Dale Crocket, Dick Throckmorton, Gregg Steadman, Joan Shaeffer, Barbara Corsentino and Daniel Mazzetti


The meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.

Respectfully submitted
Steve Carson
Secretary