[SBB] Timing at Baylands Heronry

[Ron Wolf <[[email protected]]>]

    It seems that nesting activity at the Palo Alto
Baylands heronry is not moving along at the same pace
as last year. To check on the timing, I dug up some
photos from last March and April. Indeed, the pix
show the snowy egrets were engaged in courtship displays
and were actively building nests by March 10-11, 2005.
We haven't seen that sort of activity yet this year.
They had chicks hatched by April 15, 2005. If they lay
eggs over the course of a week and incubate for about
three weeks, that means the earliest breeders had to
be on their nests by March 15 last year. So it looks
like that colony is two to three weeks behind last
year's cycle.

    Does anyone know whether this variation is within
the normal range? Should we begin to think they are
nesting elsewhere this year or suspect that something
is amiss at Baylands?

--  Ron Wolf

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