Great Blue Herons are particularly sensitive to human disturbance during nesting season. Please keep a 1000-foot buffer between yourself and nesting herons.
1. Shillapoo Wildlife Area
The Shillapoo Wildlife Area is located in southwest Washington near the city of Vancouver and is situated within the Vancouver Lowlands, which are part of the lower Columbia River flood plain. The area was once used for dairy production but is now home to a plethora of wildlife species, including the Great Blue Heron. Amidst the agricultural, pasture, wetland and riparian habitat, you can find an active heron colony with approximately 100 nests. Canada Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Bald Eagles and many other species can also be seen at certain times of year at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area.
There are two access points to the wildlife area:
a) Caterpillar Island - I-5 to Vancouver exit, west on Fourth Plain, north on Lower River Road.
b) Vancouver Lake - From I-5 take exit 1-d in Vancouver (Fourth Plain Blvd), go west on Fourth Plain Blvd for 1.5 miles. Turn right on Fruit Valley Road, go 0.4 miles, then turn left on LaFrambois Road. Go 1.7 miles to the access area.
2. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 for the protection of migratory birds. The refuge includes three thousand acres of salt and freshwater marshes, grasslands, riparian, and mixed forest habitats that provide resting and nesting areas for migratory waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, and wading birds. The refuge provides excellent walking paths and viewing stages for viewing Great Blue Herons and other birds, in addition to a visitor center. Great Blue Herons are regularly seen at Nisqually wading the marshes and riparian habitat hunting for fish or occasionally hunting for voles in the drier pastures in winter.
The refuge is located just off of I-5 at exit 114, north of Olympia. After exiting, follow the signs to the refuge just a short distance away.
3. Black River Riparian Area
This riparian forest and wetland is host to the largest Great Blue Heron colony in the Puget Sound area. The Black River Riparian Area offers a plentiful food source, tall, mature cottonwood trees, and an island location, which limits human disturbance. You will need binoculars to clearly view the herons at the Black River Riparian Area. The colony at the Black River Riparian Area is currently threatened by encroaching development.
Directions from Seattle:
Take I-5 South to exit #157, Martin Luther King Way East/900 East, which takes you east on Route 900. Stay on 900 for 2.9 miles. Turn right at 68th Avenue South. You'll go down a windy wooded hill, and the road will change to SW Oaksdale. At the bottom of the hill, you'll cross railroad tracks. 2-3 blocks after you cross the tracks (Black River will be on your left) and turn left into the small parking area.
Directions from 405:
Take 405 to the Interurban/West Valley exit and turn east on Grady Way. At the first traffic light, turn left onto SW Oaksdale. At the next light, go straight and drive the equivalent of about 2-3 long blocks until you see the small parking area on your right.
4. Kiwanis Ravine, Hiram Chittenden Locks, and the Arboretum
The Kiwanis Ravine is located a block east of Discovery Park in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. This urban forest and wildlife corridor is home to Seattle's largest great blue heron nesting colony (42 nests in 2004). The Great Blue Herons nest in the colony from about February through mid-summer each year. April is the best viewing month, before the alder leaf out. Many herons will also stage before nesting or actually nest across the Ship Canal at the Hiram Chittenden Locks.
Many of the herons that nest and stage at Kiwanis Ravine and the Locks feed further east at Duck Bay and Foster Island. These areas are part of the Washington Park Arboretum, located on Union Bay in Lake Washington. Great Blue Herons and a large number of waterfowl species can be viewed feeding in these areas.
For directions to the Locks and the Kiwanis Ravine: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=lwsc&pagename=directions
Duck Bay and Foster Island can be visited from the Arboretum Visitor Center. From I-5 take exit 168 (Bellevue-Kirkland) onto Hwy. 520; take first exit to Lake Washington Blvd. E., and follow it into the Arboretum.
5. David Slough, Port Susan Bay, and Skagit Bay
The Davis Slough heronry is located on Camano Island approximately 60 miles north of Seattle. It is one of the five-largest concentrations of great blue herons in the state, with an estimated 400 birds and nearly 200 nests scattered throughout the 30-acre parcel. Recently protected through donations of nearly 500 individuals and the efforts of a local land trust, the colony is perfectly situated for easy flight to Port Susan Bay and Skagit Bay for feeding. Both areas provide large tidal areas that offer a rich and diverse variety of food for the birds, in addition to other, wonderful bird watching opportunities.
Port Susan Bay and Skagit Bay are home to some of the finest estuarine habitat in the Puget Sound. Marshes, mudflats, and tidally influenced channels support thousands of birds and numerous fish species. Great Blue Herons frequently stalk prey along these shorelines, in addition to Peregrine Falcons and Short-eared Owls. Port Susan Bay, Skagit Bay, and Davis Slough can all be reached from the town of Stanwood.
