The Great Blue Heron rookery on an island in the river just off shore in the North Mississippi River Regional Park now contains somewhere near 80 half-grown herons plus their parents. The adults are busy feeding the rapidly growing young birds, some of their nests holding as many as four of the awkward-looking young birds. Foliage on island trees obscure many of the 30+ nests, but good sightlines are available for six or eight of the nests. They're readily visible from the paved park trails that run along the river shore. The park is accessed from the 49th Avenue exit on I-94 West, west of downtown Minneapolis perhaps six or seven minutes. The chicks are fed on an irregular schedule by their parents. It's worth the wait to see this. The parent heron sticks his/her bill down the throat of the chick and regurgitates stomach contents. Here is a photo of one nest taken Wednesday afternoon. The sun is behind you in the afternoon or early evening, so viewing is best then.
