Great Blue Herons - Danielle Labonté Photo-Based Artist

Herons in the time of COVID-19

In the early days of the COVID-19 restrictions, I began to visit a local heronry that had over 50 nests of heron families. I would travel 45 minutes from home in the early mornings. At the time we were only expected to leave home for essentials like groceries or medical issues. There was a sense of the forbidden as I drove down Highway 416.

The heronry became my happy place and essential to living in those early days of the pandemic. I visited it a few times each week for about two months. In that time, I witnessed the entire life cycle. The early courtship scenes presented here charmed me. The later stages revealed Nature's cruelty when only the fittest can leave. Nests with too many young ones saw the older birds thrive while the young ones eventually were pushed out or starved out.