The Observation Deck

Great Blue Heron Rookery 1.5 Miles Away!

I know many Lakewoodites have made the 45 minute Drive to the Great Blue Heron Rookery in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, near Bath.

In the spring it is amazing to see hundreds of nesting Great Blue Herons fly in and out while feeding the young.

In recent years the number of nests at Bath have spread out. While worth the drive it is not as overwhelming as 20 years ago.

At the same time the has been an area just out of Lakewood that has attacked one or two Great Blue Herons to nest. This area has rarely seen more than three nesting pairs at any single time. Last year there was only one.

Well this year there are 8 nest which is enough for a proper small rookery!

It is on the left, just 100 yards past Little Met, at the very back of the swamp. If you are in the area slow down and look east, you will see mom or dad standing on the nest and soon 2' tall babies screaming for food.

You can see from the walking path and roadway at a perfect distance. Binoculars help.

This was taken from the roadway...





Next nice day, park at Little Met, and take a walk down to the rookery. Kids love watching modern dinosaurs flying.

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We've seen one sporadically around Wallace lake.

Richard Baker wrote:We've seen one sporadically around Wallace lake.

I would think they are like robins at Wallace Lake. A beautiful area to walk and explore.

There are a couple nesting pairs on the east side of rocky river in Lakewood, but the nest are well covered.

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