Males arrive first and choose a nest with which to woo a mate. Heron’s are are not monogamous for life but are within a breeding season. Once a pair has committed to stay together and raise a family, they continue to work on the nest together eventually incubating 3-5 eggs. During the mating season, you can observe fragments of the elaborate heron mating ritual which includes bill snapping, neck stretching, preening, circular flights, twig shaking, bill duels. Twig shaking? Is this where the “more than you can shake a stick at…” phrase originated. In the spirit of community, herons share twigs between partners and neighboring nest builders.
By spring, the chicks have hatched and the view is sweetly domestic. Quin caught the rambunctious teens just about ready to take off on their own.