Every spring about 200 great blue herons return to nest on two small islands on the Mississippi River about 2-3 miles north of downtown Minneapolis, near Marshall Terrace Park, 2740 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. We stopped yesterday afternoon to be amazed by all the nests and activity on the two islands. The photo above is of the nearest island… the island a little further away near the power plant in the photo below was even more densely populated.
The great blue heron is the largest of the North American herons, standing about 4 feet tall with a wingspan of over 6 feet. They are amazing to watch. Our daughter-in-law sighted the one in the photo above on Cedar Lake, not far from the rookery. We sometimes get one swooping in on our creek in Golden Valley, always an impressive sight to see these huge wings fold into a delicate body that weighs only 5-6 pounds because of their hollow bones.
Herons are colonial birds, which means they nest in tight colonies like the rookeries on the two islands near Marshall Terrace Park. This is the ideal time of year to see them because there are no leaves on the trees, and the park has built steps down to the river with stopping points to watch this incredible annual ritual.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
